An Alleged Drug Dealer Was Apparently the Reason for Mike Pence’s Mysterious Cancelled Flight on Air Force 2

Vice President Mike Pence set off a firestorm of speculation when he abruptly cancelled his trip to New Hampshire without giving reason earlier this month. The speculation was warranted — the VP was set to shake hands with an alleged drug dealer when he deplaned Air Force 2 in New Hampshire.

Ironically, Pence was traveling to the state to deliver remarks about the opioid crisis at a recovery center. President Donald Trump told reporters at the time, “There was a very interesting problem that they had in New Hampshire,” and they would know what it was in two weeks, according to Politico.

Pence cancelled the trip upon learning of a federal law enforcement probe into Jeff Hatch, who worked for the addiction treatment center Pence was set to visit.

The Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating Hatch for moving $100,000 worth of Fentanyl from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, per Politico. Federal court documents released Friday show Hatch was caught in 2017 with 1,500 grams of Fentanyl. That’s enough to put a patient under for over 3 million open heart surgeries.

A law enforcement official said Hatch agreed to help authorities arrest higher-up dealers in exchange for a lighter sentence. He was charged with just a single count of using a telephone to help commit a crime, according to court records.

He pled guilty Friday and will face up to four years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

A former New York Giants player, Hatch has spoken out publicly against drug and alcohol addiction, which ended his football career. He has joined politicians on stage to warn students not to use drugs. Hatch is the chief business development officer for Granite Recovery Centers, which provides treatment for substance abuse.

Two months before the interstate drug deal occurred, Hatch had stood on stage with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen to warn students about drug use, telling them his personal story.