District of New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. – Joshua Starr, 30, formerly an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on federal weapon possession charges, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  The Court imposed a term of 18 months’ imprisonment, to be served consecutive to Starr’s current prison sentence.

            During a routine cell search in November 2015, FCI Berlin correctional officers discovered a six-inch plastic stabbing weapon secreted in Starr’s assigned bunk.  Starr was previously prosecuted and convicted in federal district court in New Hampshire for possession of a similar weapon as an inmate at FCI Berlin. 

           This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Abramson.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Robert Duquette, 74, of Hudson, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of Theft of Public Money.

            According to court records and statements in Court, Duquette’s mother was receiving widow’s benefits from the Social Security Administration at the time of her death in October 2006.  After her death, Social Security continued to deposit these monthly benefits into a bank account Duquette held jointly with his mother.  Duquette failed to advise Social Security that it was making payments erroneously to his deceased mother.  Instead, he withdrew the monies from the account and used them for his own personal expenses for over seven years.  Because his mother’s death was not reported to Social Security, Duquette was able to convert approximately $101,250 in Social Security benefits to his own use. 

            Duquette is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2017. 

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Ricardo Mejia, a 25-year-old resident of Manchester, N.H. was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for robbing a Manchester bank branch last year, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. Mejia previously had pleaded guilty to one count of the federal crime of Bank Robbery.

            In connection with his earlier guilty plea, Mejia acknowledged that, on September 4, 2015, he entered a branch of Northway Bank at 29 Cilley Road in Manchester and whispered to a bank teller, “Give me all 100s, 50s, 20s. I have a gun.” While he did not brandish a firearm during the incident, Mejia further admitted that he cautioned the teller, “Don’t give me any tainted money or I’ll come back and shoot you.” Mejia also acknowledged that, after the teller handed him a substantial amount of cash from her teller drawer, he fled.

            United States Chief District Judge Joseph N. LaPlante imposed today’s sentence. In addition to ordering the term of incarceration, Chief Judge LaPlante ordered Mejia to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

            The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

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            CONCORD, N.H. –Mustafa Hasan Arif, an individual with dual citizenship in Pakistan and the United Kingdom, appeared in United States District Court in Concord, NH today where he pled guilty to wire fraud.  Arif defrauded individuals by fraudulently selling drugs claiming to cure many serious diseases.  Arif targeted individuals around the world, including victims in New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney Emily Rice.

            According to court records, while in Lahore, Pakistan, Arif created, maintained and controlled over 1,500 websites that promoted the sale of drugs claiming to cure and treat hundreds of diseases, many of which were incurable, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and emphysema.  The websites included falsified cure rates, false clinical research and fabricated testimonials.  One series of websites fraudulently claimed to have shown in clinical trials a cure rate of 90 percent, while other websites included links to clinical research that had not been written about the drugs on the websites. Arif falsely represented that the drugs were being sold by entities in Germany, Norway, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark when in fact the drugs were all being sold and shipped from Pakistan. Arif used those false addresses to make customers more comfortable purchasing the drugs. Documents in the case show that Arif ‘s scheme generated more than $12 million in fraudulent sales.

            Arif was originally arrested on a criminal complaint issued in New Hampshire after he flew into New York in February 2014 on a business trip.  He appeared in federal court in New York and was transferred to New Hampshire, where he has remained in custody. Arif is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2017.

            This investigation was led by the FDA/Office of Criminal Investigations, Cybercrime Investigations Unit along with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistance during the investigation was provided by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Portsmouth New Hampshire Police Department, the United States Consulate, Diplomatic Security Service Lagos, Nigeria office, New Zealand Ministry of Health, United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and the Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.  The investigation is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen and Senior Counsel Sarah Hawkins of the FDA/Office of Chief Counsel.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Tonya Dailey, 44, of Franklin, New Hampshire, was sentenced to one year of probation.  Dailey pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security Fraud on June 24, 2016.

            According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, Dailey began receiving Social Security disability benefits in 1999.  Dailey returned to self-employment in June 2010, earning sufficient income each month to render her ineligible to receive any disability benefits.  Although she reported her receipt of nominal earnings as a bartender during a review with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2014, Dailey did not report her significant monthly income from self-employment to SSA.  Upon questioning by investigators in May 2015, Dailey admitted that she concealed her work activity from SSA because she knew her earnings would have disqualified her from receiving Supplemental Security Income disability benefits.  Applicants for Supplemental Security Income benefits must have limited income and resources in order to qualify for assistance.  As a result of her concealment, Dailey received $30,230.78 in disability benefits that she would not have received if she had properly disclosed her self-employment income.

            Dailey was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe.     

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jeannette Hardy, 25, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

            According to an offer of proof made by the United States at the hearing, the Manchester Police responded to a residence in Manchester on June 22, 2015 after receiving a report of gun shots.  Police found the defendant at a convenience store nearby.  She had a gunshot wound to her hand and finger.

            The police searched the residence and found 1.783 kilograms of fentanyl and $198,542 dollars in United States currency.  Subsequent searches uncovered $560,050 in a safe deposit box and $7,000 in a storage unit.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the United States District Court.  The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

              “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce fentanyl and heroin into New Hampshire is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “This case is an example of a very successful collaboration between local and federal law enforcement working together. I commend the Manchester Police Department and the DEA for their tireless efforts and cooperation on this case.”

             “Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Fentanyl and heroin are causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who distribute these poisons to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department.  It was prosecuted by AUSA Georgiana Konesky and AUSA Donald Feith.

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            United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire will be participating in the Department of Justice’s recognition of National Community Policing Week, October 3-7, 2016. 

            “Supporting and promoting strong relationships between our communities and the law enforcement agencies that serve the public is one of our most important priorities.  Community policing is a comprehensive philosophy which embodies the principle that trust and mutual respect between police and the communities that they serve, insures that police and community stakeholders are true partners in preventing and fighting crime,” stated United States Attorney Rice.  “We are very proud to support the law enforcement agencies across our state who protect the public safety with unfailing dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, and to recognize that these partnerships result in stronger and safer communities.”

            The Office of the United States Attorney will be participating in several special events in connection with Community Policing Week in New Hampshire.  On Tuesday, October 4, 2016, United States Attorney Rice will join Concord, New Hampshire Police Chief Osgood for “Coffee with a Cop” at 9 a.m. at the Newell Post, 125 Fisherville Road, Concord, New Hampshire.  Then, on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at 7 p.m., United States Attorney Rice will participate in a crime prevention meeting conducted by the Nashua Police Department at Temple Beth Abraham, 4 Raymond Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.  Both events are open to the public.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Jose Casellas, 39, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to court documents, the defendant was arrested while attempting to deliver approximately three kilograms of fentanyl to a confidential informant. A search of Casellas’s residence resulted in the seizure of $12,000, a holster, and some ammunition. Through additional investigation, law enforcement obtained the address of a stash house and processing mill used by the defendant. Law enforcement officers then obtained a search warrant for the address and found approximately 898 grams of heroin, one kilogram of fentanyl, nine kilograms of a cutting agent, and three firearms. The stash house was used primarily for preparing drugs as it contained kilogram and finger presses, numerous blenders, cutting agents, and a ventilation system. The doors and windows were fortified. The defendant sold drugs that were ultimately distributed in New Hampshire since at least 2014.

            Casellas’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 204 months in prison. It also provides for the forfeiture of any property constituting or derived from the conspiracy. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 12, 2017, in front of United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty. At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Casellas’s sentence.    

            “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce heroin and fentanyl into New Hampshire is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “This case is an example of a very successful collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement partners across state lines. I commend the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the DEA for their tireless efforts and cooperation on this case.”

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl. Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated hundreds of individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            “Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Fentanyl is causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute fentanyl to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Donald Feith.

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Sean Miller, 28, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison following his conviction on a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

          Miller previously pleaded guilty on June 20, 2016. According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, Miller was arrested after the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force (NHAFDTF) and Keene Police department executed a search warrant at Miller’s former Keene residence, during which a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun was seized in conjunction with drug records, hypodermic needles and a digital scale. On four prior occasions in May and June, 2015, Miller sold quantities of heroin to a NHAGDTF Confidential Informant at Miller’s residence. Under federal law, it is unlawful to possess a firearm to protect one’s drug trafficking activities or the location from which one distributes narcotics.

          Miller was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph A. DiClerico. After serving his prison sentence, Miller will be placed on supervised release for three years.

          This case was investigated by the NHAGDTF and the Keene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

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           CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Raldo Mario Henry has pleaded guilty to making false statements in a fraudulent attempt to obtain a United States passport and to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Henry, who was arrested on July 7, 2016, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph DiClerico to an Information that was filed on September 22, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in Court, a Special Agent of the Diplomatic Security Service spoke with the defendant who had come, of his own volition, to the National Passport Center to check on the status of his application for a passport. The defendant was unable to provide any information about the people he claimed on the application were his parents.  He also could not provide any other information about his childhood.

            When told there was another person in Pennsylvania using the identity information he had used on the passport application, Henry ran away.  He was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. Further investigation revealed that Henry was a Jamaican national who previously had been deported to Jamaica.

            Henry will be sentenced on January 3, 2017, and may face deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service and by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Dwight Smith, 44, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, pled guilty on Wednesday in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            A joint investigation by the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the Hinsdale, New Hampshire Police Department resulted in the seizure of a computer and an external hard drive from Smith’s Hinsdale residence.  A search of those devices revealed dozens of videos and several hundred still images of child pornography.

            Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2017.  The defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force in conjunction Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the police departments of Hinsdale, Manchester, Portsmouth, and Hampton, New Hampshire. 

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

             In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Filipe Villar-Arias, of the Dominican Republic, has pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Villar-Arias pleaded guilty before United States District Chief Judge Joseph Laplante to an indictment that had been returned by a federal grand jury on July 27, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in court, a New Hampshire State Police Trooper contacted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer for assistance in identifying the defendant who was suspected of having previously obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license by presenting fraudulent identification and who was attempting to renew that license at the Manchester DMV. Records checks ultimately revealed that the defendant had been deported once previously to the Dominican Republic.

            Villar-Arias will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on January 3, 2017, and faces likely deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Charles Moore, 32, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to possessing contraband in the prison.  Moore possessed a homemade weapon made up of a pair of scissors, a pen and shoelaces.  The weapon was discovered by prison officials when Moore failed to clear a metal detector screening.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Moore failed to clear a metal detector located within the prison a total of six times.  After the sixth failure, Moore was subjected to a visual search.  During that search, prison officials discovered the weapon.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.  Moore faces a maximum sentence of five years.  He is subject to the advisory sentencing guidelines which will likely generate a sentencing range that is less than five years.

            Moore is currently serving a 200-month sentence for armed bank robbery.

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was prosecuted by AUSA Don Feith.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Nana Kofi Baffoe, 63, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison following his conviction on two charges of making false statements related to the purchase of firearms.

            Baffoe previously pleaded guilty on June 14, 2016.  According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, on February 4, 2015, Baffoe purchased two Ruger .45 caliber pistols from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hudson, New Hampshire.  In purchasing these handguns, Baffoe filled out a form stating that he resided at a location in Manchester, New Hampshire.  A subsequent law enforcement investigation showed that this statement was false.  At the time of the purchase, Baffoe was residing in Canada.  He never resided at the address in Manchester.  Under federal law, the firearms dealer could not have lawfully sold these handguns to Baffoe if he was not a resident of New Hampshire.

            Baffoe, who also has used the name John A. Baffoe, is originally from Ghana, but is a citizen of Canada and the United States.  He originally was arrested on May 26, 2015.  According to an affidavit previously filed in federal court, Baffoe entered the United States from Canada at a border crossing on May 18, 2015.  A few days later, he met with a firearms dealer in Nashua, New Hampshire and sought to purchase 100 handguns.  However, he was arrested before that larger transaction could take place.  

            Baffoe was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joseph Laplante.  After serving his prison sentence, Baffoe will be placed on supervised release for two years.

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Manchester Police Department, Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Office of Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. State Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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          United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire will be joining the United States Department of Justice in recognizing National Heroin and Opioid Abuse Week from September 19, through September 23, 2016. 

          The purposes of this week of action are to prevent further opioid overdose tragedies, focus on enforcement priorities and underscore the critical importance of treatment resources.  To further these objectives, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire participated in the Rally4Recovery sponsored in Manchester by Hope for New Hampshire Recovery on September 17, 2016.  With the help of WMUR-TV Channel 9, United States Attorney Rice joined New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Jon DeLena, in producing a public service announcement sharing treatment resources.  United States Attorney Rice will also appear with Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard, Attorney General Foster and DEA ASAC DeLena to bring further awareness to the crisis on Jack Heath’s New Hampshire Today program on WGIR AM 610 and The Wave 96.7 FM on Thursday, September 22, 2016.

         Speaking about the week’s events, United States Attorney Rice stated: “As the public is all too well aware, our families, friends and co-workers are challenged by unprecedented levels of opioid addiction, fed by a tide of illicit drugs washing into New Hampshire.  Our communities, our law enforcement partners, our public officials, our medical and public health professionals, our treatment providers and so many others are working as hard as they can, every day, to stem this tide.  We are committed to working together to educate the community in order to prevent opioid abuse, to provide treatment to those who struggle with addiction and to bring to justice those who engage in the criminal conduct which floods our neighborhoods with illicit drugs and violence. For those who struggle with addiction or who know someone who is struggling, help is just a phone call away at New Hampshire’s Statewide Addiction Crisis Line, 1-844-711-HELP (4357).”     

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Daniel Quinn, 48, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to armed bank robbery, reports United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            Shortly before noon on June 25, 2015, Daniel Quinn entered the St. Mary’s Bank at 3 Winnhaven Drive in Hudson, New Hampshire wearing a black hat, a mask and gloves, and carrying a knife in his left hand while keeping a brown leather satchel over his left shoulder hanging by his waist on the right side in which it appeared he had a handgun.  Quinn forced all of the patrons and employees, other than those behind the teller counters, to line up against a wall while he robbed one of the tellers using the knife.  After getting the money from the teller, Quinn took one of the bank employees hostage in order to make his escape.  Shortly after Quinn and the hostage left the bank the hostage was able to get away from Quinn and ran back into the bank, while Quinn ran in the opposite direction.  Fortunately, the hostage was not physically harmed.

            The Hudson Police Department responded to the bank within minutes of the robbery and a police canine, which quickly picked up Quinn’s scent, led police to a residential neighborhood close to the bank where Quinn was found hiding in the side yard of a home.  Quinn was taken into custody without incident and the leather satchel, which was found within a few feet of Quinn partially covered with leaves, was seized.  Inside the satchel, the money from the robbery, the knife, the gloves, the mask and other things related to the robbery were recovered.  What had been thought to be a handgun, but which turned out to be a BB gun, was also found in the satchel.

            Quinn, who is facing a maximum prison sentence of 25 years and a fine of up to $250,000, will be sentenced on January 6, 2017 at 10:00 AM.  Quinn has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the robbery and will remain in custody until his sentencing hearing.

            This case was investigated by the FBI and the Hudson, NH Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen.

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced today that both the United States Attorney's Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office will staff voting inquiry and complaint lines at their respective offices throughout the day and evening on during the State Primary Election on Tuesday, September 13, 2016.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s toll free election line phone number is:

1-866-868-3703
(1-866-VOTER03)

This phone line will be staffed from 6 am to 8 pm during the State Primary Election. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted via e-mail at [email protected]. Information regarding voting rights may be obtained by visiting the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office website at http://doj.nh.gov/site-map/voters.htm.

The United States Attorney’s election line phone number is:

(603) 230-2503

This phone line will also be staffed from 7 am to 8 pm during the State Primary Election. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted through the United States Attorney’s Web site at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh by clicking on the “e-mail us” link. A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights can also be found on the United States Attorney’s Web site.

The state and federal election lines are available to all individuals who may have questions regarding their voting rights or who want to file complaints with the New Hampshire Attorney General or the United States Attorney regarding their right to vote or any other election law violation.

For further information, please contact Assistant Attorney General Brian Buonamano at (603) 271-3650, or Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman at (603) 230-2579.

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jose Guerrero-Contreras, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on September 6, 2016, to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Guerrero-Contreras pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to an indictment that had been returned by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in Court, a Deportation Officer had a chance encounter with the defendant on June 30, 2016 in a common hallway area of a residence in Manchester, New Hampshire, at a time when the Deportation Officer was seeking someone else.  During the encounter, the defendant voluntarily admitted to the Deportation Officer that he is a Mexican national and that he was not in possession of any immigration documents that allowed him to be present in the United States.  He was then taken into custody.  Records checks revealed that the defendant had been deported six times previously.

            Guerrero-Contreras will be sentenced on December 21, 2016 and likely faces deportation after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced that Joel Tetteh, 53, appeared before United States District Court Chief Judge Joseph Laplante on September 6, 2016, and pleaded guilty to three counts of making material false statements during the acquisition of a firearm, three counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm, and three counts of smuggling goods from the United States.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, Tetteh purchased a total of six handguns from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hooksett, New Hampshire on April 29, 2014, October 29, 2014, and May 6, 2015.  In purchasing these handguns, Tetteh filled out a form in which he stated that he resided at a location in Merrimack, New Hampshire.  A subsequent law enforcement investigation showed that this statement was false.  At the time of the purchase, Tetteh was residing in Worcester, Massachusetts and never resided at the address in Merrimack.  Under federal law, the firearms dealer could not have lawfully sold the firearms to the defendant if he was not a resident of New Hampshire.

            During a subsequent interview with law enforcement officers, Tetteh acknowledged that he had purchased the guns and shipped them to Ghana inside motor vehicles.  He also admitted that he did not possess a license to export firearms.  The firearms that Tetteh purchased are defense articles that may not be exported without a license from the State Department. 

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 15, 2016. 

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Juan Castillo-Linder, of Honduras, was sentenced on September 6, 2016, after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Castillo-Linder was identified after being arrested in Manchester, New Hampshire for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol on May 8, 2016.  A Deportation Officer later determined that he was a citizen of Honduras who previously had been deported from the United States. Castillo-Linder, who was arrested by ICE on May 19, 2016, and has been in custody since that time, was sentenced to time served.  He faces likely deportation.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Sebastian Castro-Mejia, of Guatemala, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Castro-Mejia was identified after being arrested in Conway, New Hampshire for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol on June 7, 2016.  A Deportation Officer later determined that he was a citizen of Guatemala who previously had been deported from the United States.  Castro-Mejia, who was arrested on June 7, 2016, and has been in custody since that time, was sentenced to time served.  He faces likely deportation.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Silverio Lopez-Gutierrez, of Guatemala, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Lopez-Gutierrez was identified during a traffic stop in Rochester, New Hampshire on May 22, 2016.  A Deportation Officer later determined that he was a citizen of Guatemala who previously had been deported from the United States.  Lopez-Gutierrez, who was arrested on May 22, 2016, and has been in custody since that time, was sentenced to time served.  He faces likely deportation.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  Robert Brunk, 25, of Richmond, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe sentenced Brunk to 120 months’ incarceration followed by supervised release for life.

            According to court documents and statements in court, on November 7, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence of Robert Brunk.  Pursuant to the search warrant, officers seized computers and an external hard drive.  Officers conducted a full forensic review of the external hard drive and located images and videos of children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts.  The defendant, when interviewed, admitted that the external hard drive was his, and stated that he knew it contained images of children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual conduct.  Some of those images were produced by the defendant and therefore also possessed by the defendant and those images depicted at least one minor under the age of 12.

            The investigation in this case was led by the Police Departments of Richmond, Hinsdale, Manchester, and Concord, New Hampshire as well as the New Hampshire State Police, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Nick Abramson.

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Neptali De La Cruz Hernandez, 32, of New York, New York, appeared in United States District Court in Concord, New Hampshire on Friday and pled guilty to transporting two women in interstate commerce for prostitution, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to court records and statements in court, on April 6, 2016, detectives with the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department responded to a tip regarding possible prostitution activity at a Salem hotel.  Upon arriving at the hotel, the detectives conducted an undercover operation, during which they identified two women engaging in prostitution from adjacent hotel rooms.  While interviewing the suspects, the detectives observed the defendant, De La Cruz Hernandez, driving erratically in the parking lot before he attempted to flee.  They stopped the defendant’s vehicle, and during a subsequent interview, the defendant admitted that he had driven the two women from New York to New Hampshire for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.

            De La Cruz Hernandez faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.  He is scheduled for sentencing on December 19, 2016.

            The case was investigated by the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations in Manchester.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Georgiana Konesky.

            CONCORD, N.H. – John Wachaga, 22, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced on Friday in United States District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, for aiding and abetting the straw purchase of a firearm, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  According to United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice, Wachaga was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be served consecutively to a sentence Wachaga is currently serving on state charges in Massachusetts.  The defendant faces possible deportation proceedings following the completion of his sentence.

            According to court records and statements in court, on May 4, 2014, officers from the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department stopped a vehicle being driven by Wachaga, and seized a handgun secreted underneath Wachaga’s seat.  Upon further investigation, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) learned that Wachaga had persuaded another individual to purchase the firearm for him in New Hampshire, because a prior felony conviction precluded him from purchasing the firearm himself.

            This prosecution arose from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (Boston and New Hampshire), in conjunction with the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department. 

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Christopher Orozco-Amores, of Guatemala, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Orozco-Amores was identified during a traffic stop in Greenland, New Hampshire on June 14, 2016.  A Deportation Officer later determined that he was a citizen of Guatemala who previously had been deported from the United States.  Orozco-Amores, who was arrested on July 7, 2016, and has been in custody since that time, was sentenced to time served.  He faces likely deportation.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Brett Scott, 24, pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal charge related to the sales of misbranded drugs, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            According to court documents and statements at the plea hearing, Scott operated a “Smoke N Discount,” a retail store in Epsom, New Hampshire.  A law enforcement investigation showed that the store was selling synthetic cannabinoid products with names like “Colorado Kush” and “Peak Ultra.”  The investigation found that the products being sold at the store contained analogues of controlled substances. 

            The labels of the synthetic cannabinoid products sold at the store were misleading in multiple ways.  The packaging misleadingly indicated that the products were not for human consumption, when in fact, the products were intended for human consumption and ingested by consumers.  The packaging made misleading representations suggesting that the product was not unlawful by representing what the package did not contain, but did not identify the actual ingredients that were contained in the packages.  The labels did not contain information bearing the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor.  The labels also did not contain adequate directions for use or adequate warnings for use.

            As part of his plea agreement, Scott agreed to forfeit $30,000 to the United States.

            United States Magistrate Judge Andrea Johnstone scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2016.

            Synthetic cannabinoids are green leafy materials that have been sprayed with chemicals.  These products (commonly referred to as “spice” or “K2”) are often marketed as incense or potpourri.  As in this case, the packaging materials often contain attractive logos that are designed to appeal to young people.  Although the products are often identified as “not for human consumption,” the products are smoked in order to obtain a high.  The chemicals that are sprayed on the products to produce the high are often illegal controlled substances or analogues of illegal controlled substances.  The ingestion of these types of illegal products has caused some users to experience a variety of medical side effects and has led to numerous hospitalizations.

            This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and the Epsom and Concord Police Departments

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Farley.

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A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today to remotely hacking into the online accounts of almost a dozen female victims and sending them threatening online communications, in some instances containing sexually explicit photos, in order to force the victims to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. 

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Emily Rice of the District of New Hampshire and Resident Agent in Charge Holly Fraumeni of the U.S. Secret Service’s Manchester, New Hampshire, Field Office made the announcement. 

Ryan J. Vallee, 22, formerly of Belmont and Franklin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a 31-count superseding indictment charging him with 13 counts of making interstate threats, one count of computer hacking to steal information, eight counts of computer hacking to extort, eight counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of cyberstalking.  On March 16, 2016, while Vallee was awaiting trial, he was re-arrested on new criminal charges and has remained in custody since then.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from 2011 through March 2016, Vallee, using various aliases that included “Seth Williams” and “James McRow,” engaged in a computer hacking and “sextortion” campaign designed to force numerous victims to provide him with sexually explicit photographs of themselves and others.

Vallee admitted that he employed a variety of techniques to force his victims to cede to his “sextortionate” demands.  For example, according to the plea agreement, he repeatedly hacked into and took control over the victims’ online accounts, including their email, Facebook and Instagram accounts.  Once he had control of these accounts, Vallee locked the victims out of their own accounts and, in some cases, defaced the contents of the accounts, he admitted.  According to the plea, in at least one instance, Vallee hacked into a victim’s Amazon.com account, which stored her payment information and shipping address, then ordered items of a sexual nature and had them shipped to the victim’s home.  Vallee also admitted that in some instances, he obtained sexually explicit photos of the victims and their friends and distributed them to the victims, their friends and their family members.  With at least one victim, Vallee created a Facebook page using an account name that was virtually identical to the victim’s real Facebook account name, with one letter misspelled, he admitted.  He then posted sexually explicit photos of the victim on this fake Facebook page and issued “friend requests” to the victim, her friends and her family members, according to the plea agreement.

Vallee admitted that he repeatedly sent threatening electronic communications to his victims, usually by using spoofing or anonymizing text message services, in which he threatened his victims that unless they gave him sexually explicit photographs of themselves, he would continue with the above-described conduct.  According to the admissions in the plea agreement, when most of the victims refused to comply with Vallee’s demands and begged him to leave them alone, Vallee responded with threats to inflict additional harm.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Belmont Police Department.  Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire are prosecuting the case.

Victims of “sextortion” schemes such as this often may be hesitant to come forward.  The Justice Department encourages individuals who may be the victims of similar schemes to contact their local law enforcement agencies to report this conduct.

            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Christopher DeCoste, 20, of Londonderry, New Hampshire, pleading guilty in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to federal charges of possessing over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            According to court documents and statements at the plea hearing, on April 14, 2016, the law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Londonderry, New Hampshire to search for evidence of the defendant’s drug trafficking activity.  During the search, approximately 800 grams of fentanyl were recovered, as well as $42,850 in United States currency.  Officers also found a .22 Walther handgun with a magazine and two rounds of ammunition hidden in a wall.  DeCoste later admitted that he intended to sell the drugs that were seized and that he had the gun for protection in case he was robbed. 

            United States District Judge Joseph DiClerico scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2016.

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl.  Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated a large number of individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            Multiple departments and agencies were involved in the investigation and prosecution, including the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Londonderry Police Department.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth R. Aframe.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Mario Enrique Lopez, of Guatemala, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Lopez was identified during a traffic stop in Greenland, New Hampshire on June 14, 2016.  A Deportation Officer later determined that he was citizen of Guatemala who previously had been deported from the United States.  Lopez, who was arrested on July 7, 2016, and has been in custody since that time, was sentenced to time served.  He faces likely deportation.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega. 

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            CONCORD – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jazzmyn Rood, 42, of Gonic, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony in connection with the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death of Evangelique Tarmey.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the plea proceeding, the defendant was staying at the Riviera Motel with her boyfriend Mark Ross and Tarmey in October 2015.  On October 16, 2015 Ross traveled with Tarmey and another individual to Lawrence, Massachusetts in order to obtain a quantity of heroin.  Ross returned to the Riviera Motel and injected Rood with the drug and then injected himself with the drug.  Ross provided a quantity of the drug to Tarmey and told Rood he had done so.   The following morning, Tarmey was found dead in the motel room.  The New Hampshire Medical Examiner later found that Ms. Tarmey died of acute fentanyl intoxication.  

            The Rochester Police responded to the motel on the morning of October 17, 2015.  Rood was interviewed by the police and denied that Ross or she had used any controlled substance the evening before.

            United States District Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled the defendant’s sentencing for December 1, 2016.

             New Hampshire has the third-highest rate of per capita drug overdose deaths in the United States.  More than half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were the result of fentanyl, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

             United States Attorney Rice said, “I want to thank the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on this case.  Fighting the opioid epidemic is a multi-pronged, team effort.  One facet of our attack is to prosecute those who are criminally responsible for causing drug overdoses.   We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute the individuals who distribute drugs that cause overdose deaths.  Any drug distribution has the potential to be deadly, regardless of the quantity of drugs involved.  When a drug distribution causes an overdose death, my office will seek to hold the distributor accountable.”

            In April 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced the formation of an inter-office team of prosecutors who will work together to prosecute individuals who cause opiate overdoses in New Hampshire.  This prosecution, initiated before the creation of the joint team, is an example of the type of case that will be generated by the team.

             The case was investigated by the Rochester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Don Feith.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Manuel Tirado (34) of New York City, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone pills and failure to appear in Court.  

            Court documents and statements during the plea hearing showed that Tirado was a New York-based source of supply who provided oxycodone pills to a group of drug traffickers who were distributing the pills in Manchester, New Hampshire.  During a law enforcement investigation in 2013 and 2014 that included the use of controlled purchases of drugs and multiple wiretaps, investigators learned that Samuel Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and others were actively involved in the distribution of oxycodone pills.  Wiretap conversations revealed that Tirado arranged to supply some of these pills.  On multiple occasions, intercepted calls showed that a member of the conspiracy (Raul Hernandez) traveled to New York, obtained pills from Tirado, and then brought them back to New Hampshire.  On one occasion, an individual named Jose Nunez was stopped in Massachusetts while transporting $18,900 in cash that was to be used to pay for oxycodone pills.

            Several targets of the investigation were arrested in Manchester on August 27, 2014.  Hernandez was arrested as he attempted to deliver over 600 oxycodone pills to the residence of Samuel Garcia and Jennifer Nunez on Eastern Avenue in Manchester, New Hampshire.  A search warrant was executed at that residence and hundreds of additional pills, as well as over $30,000 in cash, and three firearms were recovered from that location.  Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and Johanna Nunez were arrested that day.  Jose Nunez was arrested in October of 2014, after returning to the United States from the Dominican Republic.

            Tirado was later indicted on a drug conspiracy charge.  On July 23, 2015, he was arrested in New York.  He was released on bond by a judge in New York and was directed to appear for an arraignment in federal court in New Hampshire on August 4, 2015.  Tirado did not appear in Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  He was arrested again in New York on August 17, 2015. 

            United States District Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 1, 2016.

            Other individuals who were involved in this conspiracy also have pleaded guilty.

            Samuel Garcia (36) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  He is awaiting sentencing.

            Jose Nunez (60) pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance; (3) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  He is awaiting sentencing. 

            Jennifer Nunez (26) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; (3) Distribution of a Controlled Substance; and (4) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.  She is awaiting sentencing.

            Johanna Nunez (29) pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance; and (2) four counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance.  On June 23, 2015, she was sentenced to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Raul Hernandez (28) pleaded guilty on March 17, 2015, to: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, a Controlled Substance and (2) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.  On June 23, 2015, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            An additional defendant, Edward Anthony Hiciano Beltre, is a fugitive.

            In addition to these defendants, several additional individuals who obtained oxycodone from this organization and resold it to customers have pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges.   Ryan Demers (32), William Alba (25), Bonnie Labrie (51), Krystal Mailhot (28), and Yonajaira Galarza Ramos (31) have all entered guilty pleas in federal court.

            Demers was sentenced on September 22, 2015, to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Labrie was sentenced on March 11, 2016, to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Alba was sentenced on June 17, 2016, to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

            Mailhot and Ramos are awaiting sentencing. 

            “The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who illicitly distribute oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.   “Opiate abuse is a major problem in New Hampshire and throughout New England.  The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is the gateway to heroin and fentanyl addiction, and is devastating our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue any group or individual that traffics these drugs.”

            U.S. Attorney Rice stated, “Many individuals begin their journey to opiate addiction through oxycodone use.  While these pills have a legitimate medical use, the illicit distribution of these potentially addictive drugs has been a significant factor in the development of the opiate crisis that is affecting New Hampshire.  The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to work with the law enforcement community to stop the flow of opiates onto the streets of New Hampshire.”

            This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  This particular investigation involved cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Farley and Debra M. Walsh.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Israel Garcia, 56, of Lawrence, Massachusetts and Maximo Brito-Tejeda, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, were sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire after pleading guilty to five counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro sentenced Garcia to 78 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of four years and Brito-Tejeda to 88 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of four years.  

            According to court documents, during a law enforcement investigation, officers received information from a cooperating source indicating that Garcia and an individual later identified as Brito-Tejeda were actively involved in the distribution of drugs in and around the Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire areas. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers used the cooperating individual and an undercover officer to make controlled purchases of fentanyl from Garcia and Brito-Tejeda on five occasions in August and September, 2015. On each occasion, Garcia and Brito-Tejeda met the cooperating individual and/or the undercover officer and sold them approximately ten grams of fentanyl.

            On September 25, 2015, officers approached Garcia and Brito-Tejeda in an attempt to arrest them.  Garcia fled but was apprehended within seconds and Brito-Tejeda locked himself in his car, emptied bags containing fentanyl onto the floor mat, and poured his drink over the drugs. He also attempted to swallow plastic bags containing additional quantities of fentanyl. That same day, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the residence occupied by Brito-Tejeda where Garcia and Brito-Tejeda stored and packaged drugs. A scale, packaging materials, and an additional quantity of fentanyl were recovered at this residence.

            “Prosecuting those individuals who illegally introduce narcotic drugs into our communities is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “Fentanyl, in particular, is an incredibly dangerous substance responsible for many overdose deaths in New Hampshire. We will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who seek to profit from the sale of this dangerous drug.”

            “Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Fentanyl is causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute fentanyl to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl.  Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated many individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Aframe and Georgiana L. Konesky.

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          CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Angel Mata, of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been deported previously. 

          Mata pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to an indictment that had been returned by a federal grand jury on June 15, 2016.

          According to court filings and statements in Court, a Deportation Officer developed information indicating that Angel Mata, a Mexican national, was present in the United States after having been deported on two previous occasions. On June 15, 2016, Deportation Officers approached the defendant who confirmed that his name was Angel Mata and that he was illegally present in the United States without any immigration documents. His identity later was confirmed through fingerprint information.

           Mata will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on November 28, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

          The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Zakee Stuart-Holt, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of money laundering, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to court documents, the defendant distributed drugs in the Manchester, New Hampshire area since at least July of 2014. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement recovered approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl and $198,000 in drug proceeds from an apartment occupied by the defendant and another individual. In addition, law enforcement seized approximately $560,000 in drug proceeds from a safe deposit box in the defendant’s name. The defendant was not employed at the time of the conspiracy and the currency recovered by law enforcement constituted proceeds of the defendant’s drug distribution conspiracy.  

            Stuart-Holt’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 210 months’ incarceration. It also provides for the forfeiture of any property constituting or derived from the conspiracy. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on November 29, 2016, in front of United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty. At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Stuart-Holt’s sentence.

            “I commend the Manchester Police Department and the DEA on their thorough investigation of this case leading to the seizure of such a significant quantity of drugs and drug proceeds,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “Prosecuting those individuals who introduce dangerous narcotics into our community, and ensuring that they do not profit from doing so, is a critical priority of my office.” 

            “Those suffering from the disease of heroin addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “But, those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions.  In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic, DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl.  Because a single gram of heroin or fentanyl can be used to create multiple individual dosage units that can be sold “on the street,” the quantity of fentanyl involved in this case could have generated hundreds of individual doses of fentanyl, each of which had the potential to cause a fatal overdose.

            This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.   The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Donald Feith.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:  United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Steven A. Petrillo, 46, of Salem, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 2 years of probation after a jury found him guilty of making a material false statement to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

            Petrillo was indicted on February 10, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Concord, New Hampshire.  The indictment charged him with providing a false statement to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in connection with seeking a position as a pharmacist at the VA Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.  In his application, Petrillo certified that he had never been discharged from any former employment.  During a jury trial in May of 2016, testimony from several witnesses established that Petrillo had been terminated from two prior pharmacist positions. 

            Petrillo was sentenced by Chief Judge Joseph Laplante of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire.

            This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration.    Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. 

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Salvador Lopez-Hernandez, of Honduras, has pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after having been deported previously.

            Lopez-Hernandez pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty to an indictment that had been returned by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2016.

            According to court filings and statements in Court, a Deportation Officer developed information indicating that Salvador Lopez-Hernandez, a Honduran national, was present in the United States after having been deported on a previous occasion.  On June 15, 2016, Deportation Officers approached the defendant who confirmed that his name was Salvador Lopez-Hernandez and that he was illegally present in the United States without any immigration documents.  His identity later was confirmed through fingerprint information.

            Lopez-Hernandez will be sentenced at 10:00 AM on November 22, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega is prosecuting this case.

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            CONCORD, New Hampshire – United States Attorney, Emily Gray Rice announced that Alkis Nakos, 37, of Manchester was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him on drug conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise charges last August.  The sentence was the statutory mandatory minimum applicable to Nakos.

            According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Nakos served as the New Hampshire leader of an international drug distribution network that brought high grade marijuana from Canada for distribution  in the United States.  In addition to smuggling cash back to Canada, the organization used proceeds from the sale of marijuana to purchase large quantities of cocaine that were then shipped into Canada.  In August 2015, a jury found Nakos guilty of conspiring to distribute more than one thousand kilograms of marijuana during the period from 2008 through 2014.  They also found Nakos guilty of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise during the same period.   

            Evidence obtained in the investigation established that Nakos used the proceeds from the sale of marijuana to fund the purchase of luxury cars and jewelry, to fund structural improvements to his home, and that he spent more than $658,000 in gambling at Foxwoods Resort and Casino.

            The United States requested that the jury’s verdict on the count two conspiracy charge be vacated to avoid a constitutional issue under the Double Jeopardy Clause.  The court granted the government’s request and sentenced Nakos on the continuing criminal enterprise charge.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department.

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            CONCORD, N.H.– Emily Gray Rice, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, announced that Derek Potocki, 31, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to an Indictment charging him with one count of aiding and abetting bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and 2.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2015 Potocki pressured Melissa Boucher, 27, previously of Manchester, to rob a bank for him.  Potocki selected the bank and provided Boucher with instructions including how to dress and disguise her appearance.  The two proceeded to the Member’s First Credit Union at 44 Bridge Street in Manchester on the morning of March 3, 2015.  Boucher, who was unarmed at the time, did as she had been instructed, entering the bank alone, passing the note to the teller, and making out with a sum of cash.  She then fled with the cash, and the proceeds were divided between her and Potocki.  Boucher then utilized a portion of the proceeds to purchase heroin, on which she overdosed.  When paramedics were able to resuscitate her, large amounts of cash fell out of her clothing.  She was arrested and has remained in custody on a New Hampshire state parole violation since that date.  Potocki took his portion of the funds and fled the area. 

            Boucher previously pleaded guilty to her role in the robbery and is scheduled for sentencing on September 9, 2016 in front of U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty.

            Potocki’s plea agreement includes a binding stipulated sentence of 72 months’ incarceration.  A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 22, 2016, in front of Judge McAuliffe.  At that time, the Court will decide whether to accept the plea agreement and impose the agreed-upon period of incarceration, as well as any other conditions of Potocki’s sentence.  Potocki also faces a mandatory restitution order to the Member’s First Credit Union.

            This matter is being investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Raymond L. Blackmer, III, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing guns that he assembled from component parts in Massachusetts and then brought to New Hampshire.  Blackmer pleaded guilty to one count of the federal crime of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.  Blackmer is 51 years old, and, before his arrest in this case, he lived in Easthampton, Massachusetts.     

            According to statements made during today’s hearing, the Easthampton (Massachusetts) Police Department learned on November 6, 2015, that Blackmer was intending to travel from Massachusetts to New Hampshire with one or more firearms.  Information developed by the Police Department indicated that Blackmer had assembled the subject firearms in his workshop in Easthampton, Massachusetts, from component parts that he had bought on the internet.  Later that day, surveilling police officers watched Blackmer leave his Easthampton home with suspected firearms and then drive to and across the Massachusetts border into Winchester, N.H., where he was stopped by law enforcement officers for the purpose of executing a previously obtained federal search warrant on Blackmer’s car.  The warrant became effective when the officers observed Blackmer transporting the suspected firearms across the state line, thereby establishing probable cause that the interstate requirement of the federal crime of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon was satisfied.  Upon executing the warrant, law enforcement officers discovered two AR-15 style rifles, rifle sites and a loaded magazine in the trunk of Blackmer’s car.  A later search of Blackmer’s workshop in Massachusetts yielded an additional nine firearms in various states of assembly, at least five which were completed enough to qualify as firearms under federal law.  In connection with his plea, Blackmer admitted that, at the time of the traffic stop, he previously had been convicted of felonies on at least five prior occasions. 

            United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe took Blackmer’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for November 22, 2016.  The plea agreement provides that both Blackmer and the government will recommend a total term of incarceration of seventy months, materially more than the anticipated advisory federal sentencing guideline range.  Blackmer has been detained since his arrest on November 6, 2015, and is expected to remain in custody until after he serves the term of incarceration that Judge McAuliffe imposes.

            This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in both Manchester, N.H., and in Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as the Easthampton (Massachusetts) Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police.  The Office of the District Attorney for the Northwest District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided important support.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Ronald Alan Cook, a 45-year-old resident of Manchester, has been sentenced to 71 months in prison for robbing the Bank of New Hampshire at 705 Hooksett Road in Manchester on November 10, 2015, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            To commit the offense, Cook entered the bank and handed a note to a bank teller that stated, “I have a gun!!  Give me all the 100, 50, 20 and 10 now and fast.”  Cook also told the teller, “This is serious give me all your money 50, 100, 20s.”  The teller removed money from her teller drawer and gave it to Cook, who then ran from the bank.  A description of the bank robber was broadcast to Manchester police officers.  An officer saw Cook riding a bicycle near the bank and detained him because he matched the description of the bank robber.   While being questioned by this police officer, Cook admitted that he robbed the bank.

            Cook was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe.

            The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by AUSA Robert M. Kinsella.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Ricardo Silva-Hernandez, of Mexico, was sentenced to a time-served sentence after pleading guilty, on April 20, 2016, to illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported.

            Silva-Hernandez was arrested by the Hooksett Police Department on February 24, 2016, after the police responded to a burglar alarm at Silva-Hernandez’s place of employment. When an officer asked Silva-Hernandez for identification, he produced a Mexican identification card.

Further questioning by the police led to Silva-Hernandez’s admission that he was illegally in the United States and had re-entered the United States after being deported.

            The Hooksett Police sought the assistance of officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal (ICE-ERO) in positively identifying Silva-Hernandez. Fingerprints taken from Silva-Hernandez were compared to fingerprints on file with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  That comparison definitively proved that Silva-Hernandez had been previously deported in 1997 and again in 2009.

            Silva-Hernandez will now be deported.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Hooksett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega prosecuted this case.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Genfry Martinez, 20, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 37 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            On February 11, 2016, after a traffic stop by the New Hampshire State Police, Martinez was found in possession of what lab results confirmed to be 68.67 grams of the Schedule II controlled drug fentanyl. The defendant possessed the drugs with the intention of distributing them.

            “The narcotic drug fentanyl is an incredibly dangerous substance responsible for a large number of overdose deaths in New Hampshire,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “I will continue to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who attempt to profit from the sale of this deadly drug.”

            United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro sentenced Martinez. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge Barbadoro ordered Martinez to serve, upon his release from prison, a term of supervised release of three years.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.

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            CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Sergio Yeremi Martinez-Mejia, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to a time-served sentence after pleading guilty, on May 2, 2016, to falsely claiming that he was assigned a social security number that was in fact assigned to another person.

            On March 24, 2015, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified that the defendant was suspected of being a foreign national illegally in the United States. On March 23, 2015, the defendant told the Portsmouth Police Department that he was a Puerto Rican U.S. citizen and provided the police a certain social security number that he claimed was his.

             On March 24, 2015, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officer interviewed Martinez-Mejia. The defendant claimed that he was born in Puerto Rico and provided the officer with a social security number not in fact assigned to Martinez-Mejia.

             The Deportation Officer submitted the defendant’s fingerprints to the Department of Homeland Security and to the FBI. Each agency returned a match for the defendant, Sergio Yeremi Martinez-Mejia, who had, on July 11, 2011, been ordered deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic.  Records of the U.S. Social Security Administration revealed that neither of the numbers the defendant claimed were assigned to him actually had been assigned to him.

             Martinez-Mejia will now be deported.

             The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Portsmouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega prosecuted this case.

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CONCORD, N.H. – A 25-year-old resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, Kristopher White, has pleaded guilty to fifteen counts of unlawfully converting government property, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

            From June 8 to June 19, 2015, three barrels that contained government-owned scrap metal and 25 government-owned tools were stolen from a maintenance building at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manchester.  On June 9, 10 and 19, 2015, White knowingly sold the stolen scrap metal to a recycling business in Manchester, and on June 19 he knowingly sold 12 of the stolen tools to a pawn shop in Manchester.

            The crimes to which White pleaded guilty are felonies because the aggregate cost price or market value of the stolen items is more than $1,000.

            The maximum period of imprisonment for each offense is 10 years.  The maximum fine for the offense is $250,000.  White will be sentenced by United State District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty on November 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.  Judge McCafferty will sentence White after she has had the opportunity to review a presentence investigation report prepared by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services office.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and the VA Police Services at the Manchester VA Medical Center.  The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert M. Kinsella.

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CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Feky R. Sumual pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a scheme to illegally buy guns and then smuggle them out of the country for the benefit of members of the protective security detail of the President and the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia -- also known as the Indonesian Presidential Guard.  Sumual pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, to make false statements in records required to be kept by federal firearms dealers and to smuggle firearms from the U.S.  Sumual is 51 years old and lived in Dover, N.H., before his arrest in this case.

            According to statements made during his plea hearing, Sumual joined a conspiracy to buy guns for members of the Indonesian Presidential Guard with the understanding that the Presidential Guard members then would smuggle the guns out of the U.S.  Specifically, Sumual admitted that his nephew, Audi N. Sumilat – on active duty with the U.S. Army in El Paso, Texas – and three members of the Presidential Guard came up with the plan in October 2014, when they were stationed together in Fort Benning, Georgia.  Sumual further admitted that in September and October 2015, as part of the plan, he purchased guns from federal firearms dealers in N.H. and Sumilat purchased guns from federal firearms dealers in Texas all for members of the Indonesian Presidential Guard, who could not lawfully have bought the guns in the U.S. themselves.  The guns – approximately twenty-two of them – were almost all 9 millimeter hand guns.  Sumual admitted that, to facilitate the purchases, he and Sumilat certified to the gun dealers from which they bought the guns that they were the actual buyers of the guns even though the actual buyers were the Presidential Guard members.  

            Sumual further admitted that he delivered the guns to members and representativesof the Presidential Guard in connection with official state visits by the President and Vice-President of Indonesia with the U.N. General Assembly in New York, N.Y., at the end of September 2015, and with the White House at the end of October 2015.  The guns Sumual admitted delivering consisted of those that he had bought in New Hampshire and others that Sumilat had acquired in, and shipped to Sumual from Texas.  Sumual stated that several individuals working for the Indonesian government or, in some instances, driving vehicles with Indonesian diplomatic license plates, facilitated the deliveries.  Sumual acknowledged that he understood that, after he delivered the guns, the members of the Presidential Guard intended to smuggle the illegally purchased guns from the U.S.  Lawfully exporting the guns – which were included as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List – required both an exporter’s license and a license covering the specific guns exported.  No such licenses had been issued.

            United States District Judge Landya McCafferty accepted Sumual’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for November 17, 2016.  Sumual faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  Sumilat also has pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced on October 11, 2016.

            This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in both Manchester, N.H. and El Paso, Texas, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, in Manchester, N.H. and Jakarta, Indonesia.  The Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy to Indonesia, the Dover (N.H.) Police Department and the Indonesian National Police all provided important support.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

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            CONCORD, N.H. – Euris Daniel Paulino Guerrero, 24, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to a federal indictment charging him with two counts of distribution and one count of conspiracy to distribute the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. 

            According to documents filed in United States District Court and statements in court proceedings, Guerrero sold fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone to cooperating witnesses on three occasions during the summer of 2015. He also sold approximately 150 grams of fentanyl to a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity. Pursuant to a search warrant executed at a residence associated with the conspiracy, law enforcement seized approximately 485 grams of fentanyl, an instrument used to compress drugs into ten-gram quantities for sale, blenders, and other packaging materials.

            Chief United States District Judge Joseph LaPlante sentenced Guerrero. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge LaPlante ordered Guerrero to serve, upon his release from prison, a term of supervised release of 4 years.

            According to statistics maintained by the State of New Hampshire, over half of the drug overdose deaths in New Hampshire in 2015 were related to fentanyl. “This defendant was responsible for distributing hundreds if not thousands of doses of the lethal narcotic fentanyl in New Hampshire and Massachusetts,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “My office will continue to focus our resources on targeting traffickers who attempt to profit from the drug epidemic plaguing our state.”

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and John Farley.

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            Concord, New Hampshire – U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice announces the 32nd Annual National Night Out, which will be celebrated throughout New Hampshire on Tuesday night, August 2, 2016.  “We encourage citizens to join the men and women of the law enforcement agencies which protect our communities for the National Night Out in the cities and towns in our state.    National Night Out is an opportunity to leave our homes, visit our neighbors and become acquainted with one another.  Our communities are stronger and safer when we all work together as partners in the same effort.”

            National Night Out is designed to: heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for and participation in local anticrime efforts; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.  This year, National Night Out events will be held in several communities throughout New Hampshire.  Registered events will take place in Bedford, Belmont, Concord, Dover, Farmington, Greenland, Groveton, Hartford, Laconia, Lincoln, Manchester/Rochester, Milford, Mont Vernon, Northfield, Pittsfield, Portsmouth, Salem, Somersworth. 

            U. S. Attorney Rice stated, “Our nation has recently experienced terrible tragedies, leaving us feeling sad and uncertain.  Violence is never the answer.  The solution lies in forging stronger connections.  We must recommit ourselves to doing everything possible to bridge divides, heal rifts, and build trust, and to ensure that all of our neighbors, including our first responders, feel respected, supported, and safe.”

            National Night Out organizers are expecting over 16,000 communities and 38 million people nationwide to take part in community events on Tuesday.

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CONCORD, N.H. – Bonita Kitson, 45, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, who pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security Fraud, two counts of Making False Statements, and one count of Wire Fraud on April 21, 2016, was sentenced today to two years of probation, including four months of home confinement, and was ordered to pay $28,788 in restitution, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.

           According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, Kitson received Social Security disability benefits, Food Stamps, and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled for over two years prior to her marriage in October 2010.  Her husband also received Social Security disability benefits and Food Stamps before they married.  They each continued to receive these benefits after they wed, but neither Kitson nor her husband reported their marriage or their shared residence to Social Security or to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services as required.  Instead, Kitson advised both agencies that she and her husband were merely friends.  The marriage was not disclosed until October 2014, when Kitson advised Social Security that her husband passed away one month earlier as part of her application for a lump-sum death benefit.

            Kitson’s marriage and shared living arrangement, if properly reported, would have significantly reduced the amount of Social Security disability benefits and Food Stamps she and her husband received, and would have disqualified Kitson from receiving Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled.  Applicants for each of these benefits programs must have limited income and resources in order to qualify for assistance.  The income of all members of a household is considered when determining an individual’s eligibility for benefits.  As a result of concealing the marriage and shared residence, Kitson and her husband fraudulently received an additional $27,654 in disability benefits and Food Stamps, and Kitson received $1,134 in Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled to which she was not entitled.   

            Kitson was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Joseph N. Laplante.        

            The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Special Investigations Unit, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Burzycki.

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            CONCORD – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Rosaire Gauthier, 40, of Bennington, New Hampshire was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a felon-in-possession charge and 17 drug charges.  Gauthier pleaded guilty to the charges on October 9, 2015.

            According to documents on file with the court and statements made at his sentencing hearing, Gauthier sold oxycodone and other controlled substances to a confidential informant on 15 occasions between April 2011 and February 2012.  A search of his residence in August 2014 resulted in the seizure of drugs, three loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun, a loaded rifle that had an extended magazine attached, three ballistic vests and $18,190 in cash.  Gauthier was a convicted felon at the time and could not legally possess a firearm.

            Gauthier was also sentenced to three years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.  During the term of his supervised release, Gauthier’s behavior will be monitored by an officer with the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.

            The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted in the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by AUSA Debra Walsh.

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