District of New Hampshire

CONCORD – Former New Hampshire physician Steven Powell, 56, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison on one count of health care fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by prescribing medical equipment without ever seeing, speaking to, or otherwise examining patients. 

Powell, who now lives in Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro. According to court documents and statements made in court, Powell, a licensed psychiatrist, signed hundreds of medically unnecessary orders for durable medical equipment (DME), including knee, wrist, back, and shoulder braces. He did not examine, speak with, or meaningfully evaluate the Medicare beneficiaries for whom he purported to prescribe these devices. Instead, he approved large volumes of pre‑populated brace orders within minutes, making meaningful medical review impossible. These orders enabled DME suppliers to submit approximately 1,400 fraudulent claims to Medicare totaling more than $1.9 million in claims, of which Medicare paid $761,202.75.

Between December 2018 and March 2019, Powell signed brace orders for more than 500 Medicare beneficiaries, often approving multiple braces per patient. In one instance, he completed more than 100 pages requiring 75 signatures in just over a minute, further demonstrating the absence of any legitimate medical assessment.   

In addition to the prison sentence, Powell was ordered to pay $761,202.75 in restitution to the Medicare program.   

“This defendant abused his position and his medical license in order to defraud taxpayers with nearly $2 million in bogus medical bills, and will now spend time behind bars,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to pursue accountability for those who commit fraud and steal from the taxpayers, and strict penalties for those siphon precious healthcare resources meant to help elderly and low-income patients.” 

“Dr. Steven Powell abandoned all pretense of professional ethics when he caused nearly $2 million in false Medicare bills from bogus prescriptions for medical equipment,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “By looting these funds, this physician not only strained the system, but cheated the taxpayers who fund it. Know that your FBI is committed to fighting health care fraud, one case at a time, because every dollar lost to bogus billing is a dollar less to use for legitimate treatments and services.”

“Powell used his medical license as a tool to facilitate fraud, signing orders for medically unnecessary equipment without examining patients and helping to fuel a scheme that sought to defraud Medicare of millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that conduct and reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs and the taxpayers who fund them.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy prosecuted the case.

CONCORD – Falmouth, Massachusetts resident Leo Anzivino, Jr., 35, pleaded guilty today to a money laundering conspiracy in connection with a more than $6 million health care fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan and Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announce.

Anzivino pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty. The Court scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2027. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Anzivino conspired with others to launder health care fraud proceeds. Specifically, Anzivino agreed to be the straw or nominal owner of Advanced Medical Supply Corp. (Advanced), located in Rochester, New Hampshire, even though his co-conspirators were in fact the beneficial owners and managers of Advanced. Thereafter, Advanced submitted more than $6 million in claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment (DME) – such as knee braces and back braces – that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that doctors did not prescribe. Instead, Advanced supported these claims using fake orders from physicians who did not actually write or submit those orders. Medicare paid more than $3 million as a result of these false and fraudulent claims. 

Medicare beneficiaries returned boxes of DME to Advanced with notes stating that they had not ordered the products and alleging a fraud or scam, some of which are depicted below.

Note from Medicare Beneficiary Accompanying DME Return “Did Not Order” the Medical Products and that it was a “FRAUD!!”

Note from Medicare Beneficiary Accompanying DME Return Stating that the Medical Products Were Sent “Without Prior Consent of My Physician or Myself”

Note from Medicare Beneficiary Accompanying DME Return Stating that “This Must Be Some Type of Medicare Scam”

For his part, Anzivino helped hide his co-conspirators’ involvement with Advanced by being listed as the owner of Advanced on the Medicare enrollment paperwork. He also submitted false and fraudulent bank account opening documents to a bank in New Hampshire, falsely certifying that he was the sole owner of 25 percent or more of the equity interests of Advanced when others, including a co-conspirator, were Advanced’s true owners. 

Anzivino then laundered the fraud proceeds by, at his co-conspirator’s direction, seeking to transfer more than $1 million from the Advanced bank account in New Hampshire to companies that were affiliated with the co-conspirator. When told by a bank employee that the bank had not reached a level of confidence that the other companies were legitimate, and that Anzivino should do his own research into these companies, Anzivino instead opened a bank account at another bank with branches in Massachusetts. 

Anzivino learned that Advanced’s ability to bill Medicare would be revoked for various deficiencies, including an inability to verify proof of his ownership of Advanced. Anzivino then sent messages to another individual discussing that revocation, explaining that “All the ppl who gave me money are going to come back for it now my shits revoked,” stating that his co-conspirator “still wants me to wire him money,” and claiming that “I ain’t wiring shit.”  Despite this, over the next five weeks, Anzivino proceeded to wire $1,494,938.09 across three separate transactions.

In 2024, the government seized approximately $353,768.29 in assets tied to the alleged scheme from Advanced’s bank account.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with valuable assistance from IRS-Criminal Investigations and the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Hunter and Matthew Vicinanzo and Trial Attorneys John Howard and Tiffany Wynn of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that four additional defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York. The investigation uncovered that members of the conspiracy trafficked firearms into Canada while also trafficking narcotics and humans into the United States.

The four latest defendants to plead guilty in the case between the dates of September 26 and October 9, 2026 are all residents of the Akwesane Mohawk Indian Reservation straddling the U.S.-Canada border from New York to Quebec. They are:

• Conrad Oakes, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2027.

• Tayson Terrance, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2027.

• Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027.

• Montana Cook, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027.

Oakes, Terrance, Gibson and Cook were among eight defendants indicted in May 2026. Five other defendants, including Justin Jackson, Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, Caleb Wilcott, and Doug Mulligan, had previously pleaded guilty to firearms offenses arising from the investigation. 

According to court documents, the investigation began with a firearms trace. A firearm was recovered by the Montreal City Police Department (SVPM) in Montreal, Quebec as part of a search warrant executed in a kidnapping investigation. SVPM recovered a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which they were able to restore. This firearm was purchased by defendant and co-conspirator Dustin Tuttle in New Hampshire. Subsequent investigation revealed a larger conspiracy to smuggle weapons from New Hampshire to Vermont, New York, and ultimately to Canada.

ATF and HSI agents learned that the conspiracy utilized the Akwesasne reservation to cross between the U.S. and Canada. One of the defendants utilized jets skis to smuggle contraband, including straw purchased firearms, from the New York portion of the Akwesasne to Cornwall Island. Once the contraband was on Cornwall Island, a resident would then ferry the contraband through the checkpoint and further into Canada. Through this investigation, the ATF and HSI learned that drugs, humans, and guns were trafficked to and from Canada utilizing Cornwall Island.

ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and the Akwesasne reservation in New York and Canada, at least ten of which were subsequently recovered at various Canadian crime scenes, in Canada. For example, after an attempted shooting in a parking lot in Montreal, Canadian law enforcement was able to find the discarded firearm which was used. That firearm was purchased by defendant and member of the conspiracy, Melissa Longe, from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester, New Hampshire. 

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police (SRMTP), Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision-Office of Special Investigations, Manchester Police Department, and the Keene Police Department have provided valuable assistance.

“These defendants have admitted to operating a sophisticated firearms trafficking network that exploited New Hampshire gun dealers, straw purchasers, and the international border to move dozens of firearms into Canada, facilitating further trafficking crime and violent crimes,” said Erin Creegan, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “Guns purchased in New Hampshire and traded through this criminal enterprise were later recovered at crime scenes involving offenses such as kidnapping and attempted murder. We are grateful for the partnership between our federal agencies, Canadian and tribal authorities, as well as state and local law enforcement in New Hampshire and New York that helped investigate these crimes and take down this dangerous network.”

“These convictions demonstrate the effectiveness of intelligence-driven policing and cooperative law enforcement efforts in bringing criminal charges against firearm traffickers. Crime gun intelligence connected firearms recovered at different crime scenes in Canada, advancing our Canadian partner’s domestic investigations into violent crime while simultaneously alerting ATF to a transnational firearms trafficking scheme at work in the United States. The guilty pleas hold accountable individuals who exploited that access to firearms and the freedom to travel while undermining public safety in both countries. ATF is proud of our partnerships with our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners and will continue to work together to build safe communities on both sides of the border,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division. 

“These guilty pleas demonstrate the serious consequences of trafficking firearms across international borders and into communities where they can fuel violent crime. This case is a powerful example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners share intelligence, resources, and expertise across jurisdictions and borders. ATF remains committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling firearms trafficking networks that threaten public safety. We commend the outstanding work of ATF Boston and ATF New York Albany personnel, HSI New York, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and our Canadian law enforcement partners whose persistence and collaboration brought these defendants to justice,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s New York Field Division.

The charge of conspiracy to straw-purchase firearms provides a maximum prison term of 25 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, and Paralegal Specialist Kristina McNamara are handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.

CONCORD – Tuftonboro resident Justin Trudeau, 27, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Trudeau will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date. 

If convicted, Trudeau faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, or both. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. 

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Hillsborough County Street Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD –Nashua resident Diego Gonzalez, 34, has been arrested by the FBI and charged with one count of Production of Child Sex Abuse Materials (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Gonzalez was arrested this morning and made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. He was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the charging documents and the public record, in September 2026, the Nashua Police Department responded to Gonzalez’s home in Nashua after a report regarding Gonzalez taking sexual pictures of a minor and sharing them with other individuals online. As part of this investigation the Nashua Police Department searched Gonzalez’s phone. During the search, law enforcement found multiple CSAM images of the minor in question, as well as concerning conversations regarding CSAM.

The charge of production of CSAM carries a minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum prison term of 30 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case with valuable assistance from the Nashua Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Mignanelli and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

CONCORD – Kingston resident Kenton Juliano, 45, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for seeking to influence a federal official by threat, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.

According to the charging document, on June 26, 2026, Juliano threatened an employee of the Social Security Administration with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the employee while engaged in the performance of official duties and with intent to retaliate against such employee on account of the performance of official duties.

The charging statute provides a sentence of up to six years’ imprisonment. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Federal Protective Service led the investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Kingston Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Anderson.
 

CONCORD – Hopkinton resident Joshua Gragg, 39, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury as a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

According to the charging documents and public record, in September 2026, law enforcement searched Gragg’s residence and found multiple firearms in his bedroom, including at least three “ghost guns,” which are firearms that were manufactured using a 3D printer. Law enforcement also found almost 3,000 rounds of ammunition, 20 firearm suppressors, and 46 pistol frames. The pistol frames were also manufactured using a 3D printer.

The charge of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The ATF provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – During the federal fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire obtained both civil and criminal judgments to recover more than $8.3 million in funds for crime victims and taxpayers, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

“While we seek to impose penalties on criminals through convictions and prison sentences, both the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire are also hard at work every day seeking financial accountability for bad actors who commit crimes and defraud the public,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “These judgments show in real terms that crime and fraud hurt all of us, and they do not pay. Seeking and obtaining these financial judgments fulfills one of our primary responsibilities in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is to recover dollars for the public fisc, especially those illegitimately gained through unlawful means.” 

Specifically, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire obtained civil judgments totaling $1,500,000.00, and criminal judgments totaling $6,812,837.21. Civil judgments represent amounts owed to the United States arising from civil penalties, debts to federal agencies, and other monetary obligations, while criminal judgments may include restitution owed to victims, criminal fines, and other court-ordered monetary penalties.

Total collections during FY 2026 for all outstanding civil and criminal judgments in the district amounted to $5,542,260.87. These funds were recovered in part through the efforts of the office’s Financial Litigation Program. The Financial Litigation Program actively monitors cases in which restitution, criminal fines, and civil penalties have been ordered to identify available assets and potential sources of recovery and to maximize collections on behalf of the United States and victims of crime. These recoveries were achieved through a combination of voluntary payments and federal collection and enforcement mechanisms, including the Treasury Offset Program, Bureau of Prisons’ Inmate Financial Responsibility Program, agency offsets of federal benefits, and enforcement actions such as wage or bank garnishments. 

CONCORD – Webster resident Dale G. Stewart, 57, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 60 months in federal prison for building and detonating pipe bombs in Weare in April of 2023, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Stewart was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following completion of his incarceration. 

Stewart pleaded guilty in April to three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm, specifically a destructive device. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Stewart detonated two pipe bombs on Dustin Tavern Road and Sugar Hill Road in Weare, New Hampshire, on the evening of April 26 and on the morning of April 27, 2023. As part of the emergency response to these explosions, on the evening of April 27, 2023, law enforcement agents located and searched Stewart’s vehicle on South Stark Highway in Weare, where they recovered an undetonated pipe bomb, constructed of white PVC pipe, with glued end caps, wrapped in black electrical tape, with a green hobby fuse protruding from one of the end caps. The undetonated pipe bomb contained more than 4 ounces of an explosive material, consistent with the manufacturing of the two pipe bombs that Stewart had detonated earlier. During police questioning, Stewart indicated he built these destructive devices at his home in Webster.

“This defendant is a dangerous individual, who deployed and detonated explosives that could have taken the lives of many people, and who will now be serving years behind bars,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “We are grateful for the quick actions of the Weare Police and the partnership with the ATF and all state and federal agencies who brought Mr. Stewart to justice. We will continue to prosecute violent individuals who put the safety of our communities at risk.”

“Dale Stewart manufactured and detonated explosive devices across the Weare, New Hampshire area, unlawfully possessed additional firearms and explosive material, and tried to flee to avoid prosecution,” said Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent-in-Charge for the New England region of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  “It is clear Stewart is a danger to our community, and today’s sentence is necessary to protect the public. This investigation required timely and efficient cooperation between ATF and partner agencies to identify, locate, and arrest Stewart.  ATF is grateful for, and proud of, these partnerships which greatly enhance public safety across New Hampshire.  We specifically recognize the contributions of New Hampshire Department of Insurance Fraud Unit Director Brendhan Harris, who was integral to this investigation, and who sadly passed away before the conclusion of this case.” 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Weare Police Department; and the Federal Protective Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Hampshire State Police, the Bow and Webster Police Departments, the State of New Hampshire Department of Insurance, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega prosecuted the case.

CONCORD – Nashua resident Alexander Diandro Cruz, 19, charged by criminal complaint for possession of a machine gun, was arrested yesterday and appeared in federal court today, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Cruz is being detained following his appearance in court. 

On September 24, 2026, Nashua Police encountered Cruz and found him in possession of a loaded Glock firearm equipped with a “switch” or machine gun conversion device. A machine gun must be lawfully registered to a possessor in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, but Cruz is not lawfully registered to possess such a weapon. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000.

The details contained in charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Nashua Police department are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Albany resident Brian Hargraves, 55, was sentenced today in federal court to 168 months in prison for possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and for obstructing justice, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. United States District Judge Landya McCafferty also sentenced Hargraves to 10 years of supervised release following his prison term.  

Hargraves pleaded guilty in May to posing as a teenage boy online in order to obtain CSAM from minors. On April 29, 2025, law enforcement seized and searched Hargraves’ mobile phones following an investigation into his online communications with minors. A review of one of the phones revealed sexually explicit images and videos of a teenage minor victim. Hargraves told the minor victim that he was a teenage boy and asked her to create explicit videos and images of herself to send to him. The evidence revealed that Hargraves was also engaging in sexually explicit communications with other minors and was posing as a teenager in those communications as well. After his devices were seized and his home searched by the FBI, the defendant obstructed justice by contacting a minor victim and attempting to persuade her not to speak to law enforcement.

“The defendant exploited several children and sought to silence one of his victims,” U.S. Attorney Creegan said. “Today’s sentence serves as a warning to those who seek to abuse children—whether in-person or by using the internet. You will be found and you will be held accountable.” 

“Brian Hargraves didn’t just prey on children—he deliberately hid behind the false persona of a teenage boy to manipulate and exploit them, and then tried to obstruct our investigation,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “His devious tactics show the lengths to which offenders will go to target minors, and this sentence sends a clear message: the FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who harms children to ensure they face significant consequences for their crimes.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and the Conway Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

CONCORD –Three men pleaded guilty this week in federal court to violating the Lacey Act, illegally hunting dozens of wild Bobcats in New Hampshire in order to ship the animals’ pelts to Canada, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Sherwood Dubrey, Jr., 48, and Randy Inman, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and Sherwood Dubrey Sr., 72, pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante this week. The Court scheduled sentencing for each defendant in January 2027. Dubry Jr. and Inman face a maximum prison term of five years and no more than three years of supervised release; Dubrey Sr. faces a maximum prison term of one year and no more than one year of supervised release.  

Enacted 126 years ago, the Lacey Act protects the nation’s wildlife resources by prohibiting wildlife violations that cross state or international borders. The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a wild cat native to North America. In New Hampshire, it is unlawful to hunt or trap bobcats. To export a lawfully hunted bobcat pelt, the law requires that hunters obtain a tag under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (or CITES). Because hunting bobcats is illegal in New Hampshire, New Hampshire does not have an export program for bobcats and does not distribute CITES tags for bobcats. New York, which has a lawful bobcat hunting season, has an export program for bobcats and provides successful trappers or hunters of bobcats CITES tags.

According to the public record, Dubrey Jr. and Inman conspired to violate the Lacey Act by poaching Bobcats in New Hampshire, transporting them to New York where Dubrey Sr. obtained false CITES tags to make the bobcats appear as though they were killed in New York, then shipping them to Canada to be sold at a fur auction. Text messages and other evidence obtained through the investigation showed that for more than four years, Dubrey Jr. and Inman routinely killed bobcats in New Hampshire, including by using bait piles on their property and on state land to lure the bobcats to be shot. They then transported the poached bobcat pelts to New York to be falsely tagged and exported to Canada. In their messages, the defendants acknowledge that their bobcat poaching is illegal and discuss the details of the scheme. In one such message, Inman confirmed to Dubrey Jr. that he shot or choked out an illegally trapped bobcat; in another, Dubrey Jr. told his father that he did not want a legal bobcat hunting season in New Hampshire because that would create “competition.” Inman and Dubrey Jr. also used rifles with scopes that could capture videos and photographs of their illegal kills and sent those videos and images to others via text messages. In total, from 2018 to 2022, Dubrey Jr. and Inman illegally exported at least 41 poached bobcat pelts.

“The people of New Hampshire have enacted hunting laws that conserve our resources and define our sense of fair play,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “Baiting and poaching dozens of bobcats for profit disregards that democratic consensus and the duty of sportsmanship shown by New Hampshire’s hunters. Crossing state or international lines will not protect poachers from accountability for their actions.” 

“This case began with the dedicated work of New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers and shows what we can accomplish together,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Over four years, the defendants illegally killed at least 41 bobcats and falsified where the animals were taken so they could be sold on the international market. Their actions undermined the tagging system that wildlife managers, hunters, and trappers depend on to keep the fur trade legal and sustainable. Our message is clear—exploiting wildlife for profit has consequences, and we will work with our state partners to bring those responsible to justice.”

“We are grateful for the vital assistance provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout this lengthy poaching investigation,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer Lieutenant William Boudreau. “Protecting wildlife requires a united front, and the collaboration between our state conservation officers and federal agents was instrumental in bringing these violators to justice.  Investigations into wildlife poaching do not end at the state line.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Gilmanton Police Department, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Enforcement Branch, the Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case in coordination with Trial Attorney Mark Romley of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section.

CONCORD – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire launched the newest location for the Federal Government Pro Bono Program this week, bringing the 30-year institution to the Granite State during National Pro Bono Month. The New Hampshire Branch of the Federal Government Pro Bono Program will connect federal attorneys and paraprofessionals with legal service organizations in New Hamphsire to assist those in need across the Granite State. Today, those legal service organizations and interested federal employees met in the first ever New Hampshire Federal Pro Bono Program Fair.

“Public service for many at the U.S. Attorney’s Office means not only holding lawbreakers in New Hampshire accountable and recovering precious taxpayer resources illegitimately obtained through fraud or other schemes, but it also means doing what we can in our individual capacities to serve our fellow Granite Staters,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “With the launch of New Hampshire’s Federal Government Pro Bono Program, we hope to establish sustained partnerships with New Hampshire legal service organizations that can have a positive impact for our citizens faced with navigating the legal landscape and court systems on their own. We will continue to look for more opportunities for federal attorneys and paraprofessionals to volunteer for Granite Staters in need.” 

Legal Service Organizations participating in today’s pro bono fair included: Administer Justice Saturday Legal Clinic, Court Appointed Special Advocates New Hampshire (CASA), 603 Legal Aid, New Hampshire Bar Association, New Hampshire Legal Assistance, and Veterans Legal Justice. 

Speakers at the event included U.S. Department of Justice Pro Bono Program Manager and Chair of the Federal Government Pro Bono Program Lara Eilhardt, as well as New Hampshire Supreme Court Associate Justice Melissa B. Countway. Justice Countway spoke to interested federal practitioners about the value of pro bono, and the practice in New Hampshire state courts.

Federal government attorneys have engaged in pro bono work since the 1970s. In 1996, with the issuance of Executive Order 12988, the Department of Justice began to lead federal agencies in creating policies encouraging their staff to volunteer. The Order assigned the Attorney General to coordinate the government-wide endeavor. The U.S. Department of Justice administers today’s Federal Government Pro Bono Program. Other branches of the Program outside New Hampshire include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, the National Capital area, Los Angeles, Maryland, New York City, Dallas, and the San Francisco Bay area. For more information about the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, generally and in New Hampshire, see https://www.justice.gov/jmd/pro-bono-program, and the New Hampshire Federal Volunteer Guide.

CONCORD – A Laconia man was sentenced in federal court to 160 months in federal prison with four years of supervised release for one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, in a case brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force.

Benjamin M. Fields, 43, of Laconia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante.  According to related pleadings and statements made in court, in October 2023, law enforcement officers received information that a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, was trafficking narcotics to customers and sub-distributors in New Hampshire and Maine using text messages and social media messaging apps. From the fall of 2023 into the spring of 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a series of controlled drug purchases and court-authorized searches of residences utilized by the DTO that resulted in seizures of approximately two and a half kilograms of fentanyl, 250 grams of methamphetamine and 28 grams of cocaine, and the recovery of handguns. 

During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted additional enforcement operations, including searches of DTO-controlled social media accounts and mobile phones, which revealed communications with numerous sub-distributors arranging drug purchases totaling approximately 20 kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of methamphetamine and 200 grams of cocaine.  Six DTO sub-distributors also sought to trade firearms, including shotguns, rifles, and handguns for narcotics.  Fields was one of several New Hampshire-based sub-distributors, who purchased for redistribution a total of more than 3 kilograms of fentanyl, among other controlled substances, within a six-month period in 2023 and 2024, for resale to his own customers, and he sought to trade a firearm for drugs during his dealings with the DTO.       

“This defendant has a serious criminal record and the evidence revealed in this investigation showed that he was a major retailer of highly addictive substances that have ravaged New Hampshire communities and families with addiction for years,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “Mr. Fields was a significant hub connecting others in a multi-state drug trafficking enterprise, and for that he has received a very serious prison sentence. I am grateful for the state and federal partnership that has helped put this dangerous individual behind bars for a long time, and we will continue to dismantle organizations and prosecute individuals profiting from the illicit sale of narcotics.” 

“Today’s sentence holds accountable a defendant who possessed a staggering quantity of fentanyl and has demonstrated a repeated disregard for the law,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Fentanyl trafficking is not a victimless crime—it destroys families and takes lives. The fact that this defendant was willing to participate in a scheme involving the exchange of a firearm for drugs further demonstrates the dangerous intersection of narcotics trafficking and violence. DEA and our law-enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who profit from this deadly poison and work to ensure they are held accountable for the harm they cause in our communities.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department, the Bedford Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the Laconia Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department, and Paralegal Specialist Christine True provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega prosecuted this case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Manchester resident Moise Rodriguez, 34, pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.  U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro has scheduled sentencing for January 11, 2027. Rodriguez faces a guideline imprisonment range of 5 years to a maximum prison term of life in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Violent Crime Task Force (“VCTF”), to include Manchester Police Department detectives, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) is leading an investigation into New Hampshire street gangs involved in narcotics and firearms violations. According to the public record, in January of 2025, ATF VCTF obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s Snapchat account where they uncovered various images and messages related to narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, and his affiliation with the Bloods. On August 25, 2025, ATF VCTF executed a residential search warrant on Moise Rodriguez’ residence.

A search of the his bedroom uncovered a Taurus Pistol, Model G3, 9x19mm, bearing an obliterated serial number with a green laser attachment; over a dozen rounds of ammunition; a plastic baggie with ten (10) grams of cocaine; two (2) plastic baggies, each with 1.3 grams of methamphetamine; seventy-seven (77) blue pills stamped (M) (Oxycodone); two (2) suboxone pills; $252 in United States Currency; a plastic baggie with MDMA rocks and prescription pills; a variety of sealed “designer” marijuana pouches; a digital scale with white powdery residue on top; and a cell phone. After his arrest, the defendant confessed that he possessed the firearm and trafficked narcotics.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter prosecuted the case.

CONCORD – Manchester property management company Greenview Associates L.P. along with two other defendants have entered into a Settlement Agreement with the United States that resolves allegations that the company and one of its employees violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

In a complaint filed on January 8, 2025, the United States alleged that the defendants—Greenview Associates L.P., Palmer Asset Management, LLC, and John Martin—violated the Fair Housing Act by retaliating against a tenant at one of the defendants’ properties. The complaint alleged that the defendants attempted to evict the tenant in late 2023 because he had filed a discrimination claim against them with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Settlement Agreement resolves the claims in the United States’ complaint. The defendants have agreed to pay the tenant $20,000 and provide credits for certain rents owed, ensure FHA compliance policies are in place at all of their properties, and provide FHA training to all employees. 

The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1- 833-591-0291 or submit a report online, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. 

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo from the District of New Hampshire and the Department of Justice’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.

CONCORD – Vermont resident Alexander Henry, 20, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of distribution of child sex abuse materials (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. The defendant was arrested and first appeared in federal court in Vermont yesterday. He will appear in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire at a later date. 

The charge of CSAM distribution carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of twenty years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case with valuable assistance from the Newport Police Department and Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Mignanelli and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

CONCORD – Former New Hampshire residents Christopher Skinner, 41, and Amee Skinner, 37, have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with a total of twenty counts between them for their scheme to steal and launder money from bank ATMs, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Defendant Christopher Skinner, formerly of Milford, is charged with 18 counts of bank theft, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Defendant Aimee Skinner, formerly of Conway, is charged with two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

Christopher Skinner was arrested on August 30, 2026, in Texas, waived his initial appearance, and pleaded not guilty.  Amee Skinner waived her initial appearance and pleaded not guilty to the charges this week.

According to the charging documents and the public record, in February 2024, Christopher Skinner was employed by a business responsible for loading currency into ATMs throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. Beginning on February 2, 2024, Skinner allegedly stole cash while loading the ATMs. Between February 2 and February 26, 2024, Skinner allegedly stole approximately $259,574 from ATMs belonging to two victim banks.

The indictment alleges that beginning on February 3, 2024, Christopher and Amee Skinner made frequent cash deposits into a joint bank account and an account held solely in Amee’s name. From February 3 to July 22, 2024, the two allegedly deposited $117,175 in cash into the two accounts. The defendants allegedly used the stolen funds to make substantial personal purchases, including $40,000 in cash for a 2019 GMC Sierra and $28,814 in cash for a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. According to the indictment, the defendants also used stolen funds to pay for additional travel, retail, and online purchases.

The bank theft counts each carry a maximum prison term of 10 years. The money laundering counts carry a maximum prison term of 10 years, and the money laundering conspiracy count carries a maximum term of 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes governing the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Vermont resident David Courtemarche, 45, was sentenced today in federal court for violating his sex offender registration requirements, specifically knowingly failing to report his employment in New Hampshire as mandated by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Courtemarche was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 21 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. On November 14, 2025, Courtemarche pleaded guilty to failing to register his New Hampshire employment since 2021 in violation of federal law.

“Sex offenders are legally required to register their employment so law enforcement can monitor and prevent predatory behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “The defendant ignored that requirement, undermining a critical safeguard designed to protect children. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: law enforcement in the Granite State will hold sex offenders accountable when they attempt to evade oversight and will continue to prioritize the safety of our children.”

SORNA requires individuals convicted of certain sex offenses to report where they live, work, and go to school. Courtemarche is required to register as a sex offender for life due to his 2003 conviction for raping a 14-year-old child in Vermont. Despite knowing his registration requirements, by at least December 2021, he worked in New Hampshire without reporting it. Thereafter, he started dating a co-worker and, to avoid arrest warrants in Vermont, began living with her in New Hampshire. Despite living and working in New Hampshire, the defendant never registered as a sex offender in this state.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Littleton Police Department, and the Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Anderson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

CONCORD – A federal Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging six individuals in an interstate drug conspiracy that spanned nearly two years and culminated in a drug-motivated kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

The superseding indictment charged Tyron Harris, Damarcus Bonner, Nicole Palardy, Jessenialyz Jones, Sheldon Stocker, and Jesse Emerson for their role in the drug conspiracy, which involved conduct in multiple states. Harris and Bonner were charged separately with the kidnapping, and Harris, Bonner, Palardy and Jones were charged with kidnapping conspiracy. According to a prior complaint in the matter and allegations in the indictment, defendants kidnapped an adult victim in Claremont, New Hampshire, and brought her to a residence in Springfield, Vermont. The victim was held there against her will, tortured and beaten, while defendants demanded money from her and others on her behalf. Springfield Police ultimately learned of kidnapping and went to the residence in the early morning hours of January 25, 2026. They rescued the victim from the residence and arrested the defendants. A search of the residence revealed a firearm, drugs packaged for distribution, duct tape that was used to bind the victim, and items used for torture. 

The indictment indicates that the kidnapping was part of a pre-existing drug operation that involved drug activity at multiple locations in several states. 

Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The FBI is leading the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Vermont State Police, the Springfield, Vermont Police Department, and the Claremont, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo and Charles DeJoie are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CONCORD – Following a 4-day trial, a federal jury found Dominican national Andri Pimental Arias, 23, guilty last Friday for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

Arias was convicted for his role in a multistate fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. United States District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty has set sentencing for January 7, 2027. 

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, beginning in the fall of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated a Lawrence, Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The organization used social media, messaging applications, and a dedicated phone line to take drug orders and send runners to make deliveries. The evidence showed that Pimentel Arias acted as one such runner, personally distributing more than 400 grams of fentanyl on three separate occasions between September and October 2022, in response to orders placed through the organization’s dispatch phone line.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Nashua Police Department and New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cesar A. Vega and Mike Shannon are prosecuting the case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Jaythien Guillermo, age 25, of Rochester, New Hampshire was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for one count of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on September 24, 2026.

If convicted, Guillermo faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and a maximum prison term of 30 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Concord Police Department led the investigation. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles V. DeJoie III is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Anthony DiMascio, age 35, of Litchfield, New Hampshire was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on September 24, 2026.

If convicted, DiMascio faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years and a maximum prison term of 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Hudson Police Department led the investigation. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles V. DeJoie III is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Matthew Schnell, 45, of Bellingham, Massachusetts was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 71 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Schnell pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. 

“This defendant helped run a major operation trafficking dangerous drugs out of central New Hampshire and will now be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Due to strong partnership with our state and local law enforcement counterparts, we were able to take down this methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Our office will continue to pursue those who bring harm and destructive addiction to our communities.” 

“Matthew Schnell is now behind bars for facilitating a substantial drug trafficking organization that pushed pounds of methamphetamine into New Hampshire, fueling addiction, violence, and instability in our neighborhoods,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Let this hefty sentence be a warning to others who think they can profit from flooding our streets with dangerous drugs and escape responsibility. The FBI and our partners will find you and ensure you are brought to justice.”

According to the court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2022, the FBI’s New Hampshire Major Offender Task Force, and the New Hampshire State Police (“NHSP”) began investigating a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in New Hampshire. The investigation revealed that Schnell obtained methamphetamine from suppliers and then would provide methamphetamine to Thomas Conway for further distribution in New Hampshire. Phone calls and text messages intercepted during the investigation confirmed that the defendant worked as Conway’s primary supplier and business partner. For example, in one conversation, Schnell, Conway, and another co-conspirator discussed the need to need to restructure their drug trafficking organization to ensure a sufficient drug supply. In multiple other intercepted communications, Schnell discussed obtaining multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine for Conway. Law enforcement later seized drugs before they could be distributed. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force in partnership with the New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. The Concord Police Department, Franklin Police Department, and New Hampton Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Brejea Wrigley, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to two counts of Distribution of Controlled Substances, specifically more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2025, the defendant took over a dark web methamphetamine distribution operation under the vendor account name “BlackCoconut” and used that account to arrange shipments of drug parcels nationwide through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Items for sale through this operation included methamphetamine, fentanyl marketed as “China White,” pressed oxycodone pills, and mushrooms in various quantities. Undercover agents were able to arrange through the dark web for parcels of methamphetamine to be purchased and shipped from Phoenix, Arizona to a law enforcement monitored P.O. Box in Manchester, NH in September and October 2025. The first shipment contained nearly 450 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside two stuffed animals, purchased for a total of $1,850 from the “BlackCoconut” account. The second shipment contained more than 800 grams of methamphetamine, similarly packaged to the first shipment. Following further investigation and the execution of search warrants, the defendant was identified as the person operating the “BlackCoconut” dark web account and trafficking operation.

The charging statute provides for a sentence up to life in federal prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2026. 

The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.

Today, the Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in two New Hampshire cities — Manchester and Nashua — for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.

“The Department of Justice is continuing its monitoring efforts all the way through primary season,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This is the last week before the Division begins ramping up preparations for midterm election monitoring, which will help ensure trust and transparency throughout the country.”

“The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire is proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division on election integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “New Hampshire’s elections, including our critical First-in-the-Nation Primary, deserve to instill the highest possible confidence. My office will continue bringing together state and federal partners to ensure that Granite State elections are free, fair, and in accordance with all applicable laws.”

The Department, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting rights laws to ensure the right to vote is protected for all eligible citizens. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.

The Department is currently monitoring polls with four DOJ staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in each city.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.

From now and up to Election Day on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. If you would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected], and the Civil Rights Division will determine whether monitoring is warranted.

CONCORD – Hookset man Derald Solomon, 51, has been indicted by a federal grand jury, charged with one count of possessing child sex abuse materials (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, and one count of possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct that is obscene, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Solomon was arrested on August 5, 2026 by criminal complaint and will be arraigned in federal court on the indictment at a later date.

According to the charging documents and the public record, in May 2025, the FBI searched Solomon’s home in Hookset after determining that a computer with an IP Address registered at that address was sharing CSAM through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. During the search, law enforcement seized Solomon’s electronic devices for further forensic analysis. That analysis revealed that, in Solomon’s browser history, he visited websites known to contain child pornography. Some of the web addresses contained words like “12yo,” “PREteen,” and “Child%20porno.” Investigators also found multiple CSAM images of real children, including some of a minor relative, as well as other visual depictions of apparent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement found these and other files in a folder directory with the file path “Picture Backups\Derald’s Photo Library.” 

The charges of possession of child pornography and possession of obscene material each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case with valuable assistance from the Hooksett and Derry Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Christopher Mignanelli are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

CONCORD – Hampton man Jamie Melendez, age 37, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury this week on one count of failure to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Melendez will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.

According to the charging documents, Melendez was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Despite this, he traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and knowingly failed to register as a sex offender in the State of New Hampshire as required by SORNA.

The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 10 years.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The United States Marshals Service is investigating this case with valuable assistance provided by the Hampton Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather M. Anderson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. 

CONCORD – Ramzi Al-Shawafi, 47, a Chichester resident, was indicted for Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business that moved over $25 million, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Al-Shawafi will appear in federal court on September 16, 2026. 

According to the indictment, for several years Al-Shawafi operated a “hawala” and worked with individuals in Yemen to coordinate the transfer of money between the United States and Yemen. A hawala is a type of informal money transfer system that uses a network of agents to transfer money across international borders without using the banking system, typically to circumvent banking laws and regulations.

Al-Shawafi operated dozens of bank accounts across many financial institutions over the last few years. The bank accounts were in the names of businesses he directly or indirectly controlled, including but not limited to Razl Trading, RA Broker, and several convenience stores. Al-Shawafi used these accounts to move over $25 million to Yemen.

The charge of Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business provides a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations are leading the investigation.  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CONCORD –Felina Pimental, 24, of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

According to court documents and statements, in late 2023, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Investigators utilized cooperating witnesses and an undercover officer to conduct controlled purchases of narcotics from various DTO members. Typically, the transactions would be arranged through the DTO’s customer telephone, which was usually operated by the DTO leader, co-defendant Alexander Aguasvivas-Pena, or by someone at his direction, namely Pimental, where a customer would contact a DTO phone number to arrange a drug deal. Pimental was involved in multiple transactions. During the course of the conspiracy, the DTO trafficked over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and other drugs. 

The charging statute provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2026. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hampshire State Police, Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat is prosecuting the case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. 

CONCORD – Manchester man Michael Cote, 44, pleaded guilty today in federal court to a bank robbery that took place at the TD Bank located at 300 Franklin Street in Manchester on December 11, 2025, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe has scheduled Cote’s sentencing for December 8, 2026. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cote entered the TD Bank on Franklin Street shortly before 9:00 a.m. wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a gray hat, stating words to the teller to the effect that this was a robbery and he was armed. He also demanded the teller put money in an envelope and give it to him. Unbeknownst to Cote, the teller handed him an envelope of $600 cash that also contained a GPS tracker. Within minutes, law enforcement tracked him to Bunny’s Convenience store on Elm Street where he had just bought cigarettes with proceeds from the robbery. Cote stated to Manchester Police officers that he had committed the robbery. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of up to twenty years.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Manchester Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Anderson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau.

CONCORD – A Manchester resident was sentenced today in federal court for distributing over 3.7 kilograms of fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Xavier Santana, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. On May 20, 2026, Santana pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing at least 400 grams of fentanyl, three counts of distributing at least 50 grams of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. 

“Working with our law enforcement partners, we took a large-volume fentanyl dealer off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Fentanyl has devastated communities across the country, and this sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold drug traffickers accountable.” 

“Removing a large-scale fentanyl trafficker like Xavier Santana from our streets—and sending him to prison for the next decade—is a decisive victory for the people of New Hampshire,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “If you think you can profit from poisoning our communities, think again. The FBI and our partners will track you down, shut you down, and put you behind bars. We will not tolerate the criminals driving the opioid crisis. Our mission is to protect our families, and we will not back down.”

According to public records and statements made in court, in late 2024, law enforcement learned that the defendant was selling drugs. The FBI conducted a series of controlled buys of drugs from Santana, first with a confidential source. The source purchased about 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl from Santana. The FBI then had an undercover officer participate in additional controlled buys of fentanyl from Santana totaling over 2.5 kilograms. Sometimes law enforcement was able to purchase a half-kilogram of fentanyl at a time. In July 2025, law enforcement searched the defendant’s residence and found over 1.2 kilograms of cocaine in Santana’s bedroom. 

The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Cesar A. Vega prosecuted the case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Swanzey man David MacLean, 78, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of failing to register as a sex offender as required by the federal law, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled MacLean’s sentencing for December 3, 2026. 

According to the court documents and statements made in court, the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) requires individuals convicted of certain sex offenses to register as a sex offender in the state in which they reside or work. Among other things, SORNA requires sex offenders to register their online identifiers such as email addresses and online accounts and usernames. MacLean is required to register as a sex offender under SORNA due to his 2018 conviction for possessing child sex abuse material (“CSAM”). 

The defendant was released from prison in January 2021 and registered as a sex offender in November 2021, listing only one online identifier, a Yahoo email address. While under court supervision, MacLean admitted to his probation officer that he used an AI (or “Artificial Intelligence”) image generator to create an AI CSAM image, which he later deleted. A subsequent criminal investigation revealed that the defendant in fact subscribed to an AI generator website and that he had multiple unregistered online identifiers, including for Facebook, X, and Reddit. For example, investigators searched MacLean’s iPad, where they found evidence of MacLean’s use of these online identifiers, including a CSAM video in the “cache” data for MacLean’s Reddit Application. This data indicates that MacLean accessed this video through the Reddit Application and his unregistered Reddit account. MacLean knew he was required to register his online identifiers, including those he used for illicit conduct, yet he never reported these online identifiers in his sex offender registration paperwork.

The charge of failure to register carries a sentence of up to 10 years incarceration, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

CONCORD – After a 4-day trial, a Haverhill, Massachusetts man was found guilty by a federal jury of attempting to sex traffic a 12-year-old as part of a proactive federal and local law enforcement operation that took place in November of 2024, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

Sharath Chandra Bollu, age 25, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. United States Chief District Court Judge Samantha Elliott ordered Bollu detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 24, 2026.

On November 14, 2024, in a proactive law enforcement operation, agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored this line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Bollu. During a text conversation and several phone calls between an undercover agent and Bollu, the agent stated that a 12-year-old girl was available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. Bollu communicated with the number from November 14 into the evening of November 15, 2024. He then traveled to a hotel in Manchester, which was the designated location for the commercial sex date. He brought condoms and $100 in cash to the hotel. 

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo and Charles Rombeau are prosecuting the case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

CONCORD — The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, Erin Creegan announces that Jean-Paul Karangwa and Caring Bees Healthcare, Inc., (Caring Bees) have paid $1,200,000 to resolve allegations that Karangwa and Caring Bees violated the False Claims Act by misusing Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

Congress created the PPP and EIDL programs to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program provided low interest loans from the SBA to allow small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic.  PPP and EIDL funds were to be used solely to cover legitimate business expenses, such as payroll costs, rent, and utilities.  PPP and EIDL funds were not to be used for personal purposes.

The United States contends that Karangwa and Caring Bees violated the False Claims Act by misrepresenting their plan to use $200,000 of the EIDL funds and $400,000 of the PPP funds for authorized expenses and to alleviate economic injury but instead, Karangwa used them for personal investments, including in commercial real estate and in a start-up online retailer. He applied for and was granted forgiveness for the PPP loan despite this misuse. 

“PPP and EIDL loans were intended to aid Americans and small businesses and shore up the economy amid the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “This Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting and recovering unlawfully obtained taxpayer dollars.” 

“This settlement resolves allegations that Jean-Paul Karangwa and his home healthcare company drained a government program – implemented amid widespread economic upheaval – for personal gain,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Anyone who thinks defrauding U.S. taxpayers is a quick way to an easy payday best think again, because the FBI stands very ready to hold you accountable.”

Civil Chief Raphael Katz, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Martin and Alexander Chen, handled this matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  There was no admission of liability.

CONCORD – Michael Savard, 40, of Colebrook, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in a case brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Savard was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 80 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.  Savard previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

“This defendant trafficked dangerously addictive fentanyl, brokering large scale deals moving drugs into many New Hampshire communities – thankfully this operation is now out of commission,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan.  “This sentence makes clear that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will hold drug distributors accountable.”   

“This sentence holds a dangerous fentanyl trafficker accountable for his role in a conspiracy that put countless lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Fentanyl is devastating families and communities across our country, and those who knowingly traffic this deadly poison must understand that there are consequences for their actions. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively target those who distribute fentanyl, dismantle the networks that fuel this crisis, and bring traffickers to justice.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in fall of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated a Lawrence-based organization that distributed fentanyl across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The organization used social media, messaging applications, and a dedicated phone line to take drug orders and send runners to make deliveries. Savard was one of several New Hampshire-based redistributors of the organization, who purchased approximately half a kilogram of fentanyl within a six-month period in 2023 for resale to his own customers, and brokered introductions between the organization’s leader and other prospective New Hampshire-based customers.      

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cesar A. Vega and Mike Shannon are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Massachusetts pharmacist Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, pleaded guilty today in Federal Court to diverting controlled prescription drugs while working as a pharmacist in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

As set forth in the plea agreement, in August 2024, Gerges-Maalouf served as a per diem pharmacist at a pharmacy in northern New Hampshire. While on duty, Gerges-Maalouf removed capsuled medication powder and prescription pills that were meant for patients and kept them for her own use. Gerges-Maalouf ingested some of the controlled substances while at work at the pharmacy. Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for November 23, 2026. 

“The facts in this case are that the defendant – a licensed pharmacist – emptied medication from pills prescribed for others and took them herself, giving some pills to patients where the medication had already been drained out. This is very dangerous for patients whose health and safety depend on these treatments,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “We will continue to pursue enforcement against misuse of controlled substances to protect healthcare customers, patients, and the public safety of all citizens here in New Hampshire.”

“Diversion of controlled substances, particularly by a licensed pharmacist, is a serious crime that erodes public trust and places lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “The DEA and our law enforcement partners will use every available resource to identify those responsible for diverting controlled substances and bring them to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system, safeguarding the controlled pharmaceutical supply chain, and ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust are held fully accountable.”

The charge of diverting controlled substances carries a maximum prison term of 4 years, a maximum fine of $250,000 and term of supervised release not to exceed 1 year. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Drug Administration Office of Inspections and Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – A Michigan man was indicted for inducing a minor victim in New Hampshire to send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Mason Zimmer, 20, was arrested in July in Michigan. He was arraigned in District Court in Concord today after being indicted by a federal Grand Jury for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He is currently detained in federal custody.  

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Zimmer targeted a minor in New Hampshire, communicating with the victim online and persuading the victim to create and send him CSAM. 

The charging statutes provide a sentence of up to 30 years, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hudson Police Department, the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .

CONCORD — Old Dutch Mustard, a mustard and vinegar manufacturing company, has entered into a consent decree, lodged today with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, requiring it to implement a comprehensive water pollution compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act at its facility in Greenville, New Hampshire. This civil case is in addition to earlier criminal charges brought in the District of New Hampshire.

The United States’ complaint, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the same time as the consent decree, alleged that Old Dutch Mustard violated the Clean Water Act on more than 1,700 days between November 2019 and February 2026 by discharging acidic pollutants into a tributary to the Souhegan River. The complaint also alleges that Old Dutch Mustard failed to comply with its stormwater discharge permit and failed to timely provide compliance information upon EPA’s request. 

To resolve these violations and ensure that the facility does not continue to unlawfully discharge acidic material from its facility, the consent decree requires Old Dutch Mustard to improve its monitoring to provide for real-time data, thoroughly investigate any future discharges to determine their cause, and implement corrective measures to stop them.

Old Dutch Mustard has been the subject of repeated enforcement efforts over the last two decades, including most recently for separate criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, to which the company and its President pleaded guilty in February 2026.  In April 2026, the company’s owner Charles Santich was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Old Dutch Mustard Co. was ordered to pay a $1.5 million fine.

“Old Dutch Mustard spent years polluting the Souhegan River,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “State and federal government agencies repeatedly attempted to secure the company’s cooperation in keeping the river clean, and those efforts were met with schemes and deception that resulted in both a criminal prosecution and the civil violations set forth in today’s action. Enough is enough. Today’s consent decree will mean close monitoring of the Old Dutch Mustard Company so that we can protect a treasured New Hampshire waterway, and the public, from further pollution.”

“Today’s consent decree will ensure that this company comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act, leveling the playing field for American businesses,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to upholding the rule of law, including the Clean Water Act.”

“This action demonstrates that EPA will pursue repeat violators and hold them accountable through formal enforcement in court,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This consent decree finally resolves decades of noncompliance with the Clean Water Act by ensuring that the company will comprehensively identify and address all sources of pollution into the tributary that runs through the facility. EPA will achieve compliance with the law.”

The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters of the United States without a permit. According to complaint, Old Dutch Mustard has a two-decade long history of unlawfully discharging its acidic wastewater and stormwater into a stream that flows underneath and in front of the company’s facility in Greenville, New Hampshire. As a result, the company has been subject to enforcement actions by the EPA, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES), and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The EPA and NH DES have required Old Dutch Mustard to continually monitor the stream at their facility, which flows into the Souhegan River. The Souhegan River is one of 19 New Hampshire rivers that the State of New Hampshire has designated as an important natural resource.

The proposed consent decree was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Osborn for the District of New Hampshire handled this matter with assistance from Assistant Section Chief Eric Albert of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section. EPA’s Region 1 investigated this case.

WASHINGTON ―The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe, including $12,109,172 distributed to state and local government in New Hampshire during the 2025 fiscal year.

The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.

“This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners’ ability to address violent crime, support officers on the front lines, and keep our Nation’s communities safe,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The JAG Program continues to provide essential resources that help jurisdictions meet today’s public safety threats and uphold the rule of law.”

“These funds go to hard working local police departments, state and county prosecutors and to directly compensate victims of crime,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “This is crucial assistance that strengthens our ability to collaborate on the local, regional and national level with law enforcement to disrupt illegal activity, make arrests, seek convictions, and keep dangerous criminals out of our neighborhoods.” 

In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship. 

BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards. 

Examples of initiatives supported by these grants include:

• Providing specialized training to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to human trafficking and to enhance proactive crime‑reduction efforts through improved officer readiness and increased patrol capacity.
• Enhancing local crime‑fighting efforts by integrating innovative technology, training, and equipment, and using comprehensive crime‑data analysis to guide decision‑making, measure performance, and strengthen strategies addressing violent crime and other public safety issues. 
• Strengthening enforcement efforts by supporting investigations related to gang activity and narcotics through targeted operations carried out by specialized units. 
• Improving officer safety and readiness by replacing outdated ballistic helmets with modern protective equipment used during high‑risk incidents, tactical operations, active threat responses, warrant service, civil disturbances, and other dangerous calls for service.

All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here. New Hampshire JAG funding awards include nearly $5.6 million for the New Hampshire Department of Justice Victim Compensation grant, $600,000 to enhance DNA testing capacity and reduce backlog for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, as well as grants to Cheshire and Rockingham counties as well as the cities of Manchester, Portsmouth, Concord, Laconia and Rochester. A complete list of FY 2025 New Hampshire awardees for U.S. Department of Justice JAG grants can be found here.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov.

CONCORD – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court to two separate drug trafficking conspiracies, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. 

Joseph Lara, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled Lara’s sentencing for November 23, 2026.

According to the court documents and statements made in court, beginning in early 2022, the DEA identified Lara as a New Hampshire-based drug trafficker. DEA’s investigation determined that from late-2020 or early 2021 and continuing through February 2022, Lara conspired with Robert Perez, a California-based drug trafficker, to purchase a total of 30 pounds of methamphetamine over three occasions from Perez in California that Lara shipped back to New Hampshire for distribution. Perez previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and in 2023 was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.  

Lara also pleaded guilty to a second drug trafficking conspiracy investigated by the FBI.  From late-2023 through July 2025, Lara obtained large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution in New Hampshire from a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization led by Alexander Aguasvivas-Pena, who was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his crimes.  

The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years up to life, not less than 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The investigation was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Burau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer C. Davis and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD –Alexander Aguasvivas-Pena, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic who is currently unlawfully present in the United States, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. 

“Mr. Aguasvivas-Pena led an organization moving huge quantities of illicit narcotics into New Hampshire. He must be held accountable. This sentence imposes that accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, we are targeting and disrupting drug trafficking across international and state borders, trafficking that has caused such damage to our state, and we will continue to do so.”

“Alexander Aguasvivas-Pena and other members of this drug organization pumped huge quantities of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Today’s sentence puts him out of business and behind bars.  The FBI and our partners are committed to taking down and locking up prolific drug traffickers like him who have zero regard for the incredible damage they inflict on people’s lives and quality of life.”

According to court documents and statements, in late 2023, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Investigators utilized cooperating witnesses and an undercover officer to conduct controlled purchases of narcotics from various DTO members. Aguasvivas-Pena was the leader of that DTO which was responsible for distributing over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with other drugs.       

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hampshire State Police, Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. 

CONCORD – A Concord man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. David Dolloff, age 50, was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026. 

According to court documents, in July 2025, federal officials began investigating Dolloff after learning he had subscribed to a “Netflix-style” website dedicated to streaming CSAM over the darknet. Local authorities then searched Dolloff’s home last August and found a thumb drive containing nearly 500 files depicting CSAM. Also saved on that thumb drive was a digital business card with Dolloff’s picture and a document listing his name. Dolloff was previously convicted in Hillsborough County Superior Court for possession of CSAM in 2015. 

The charging statutes provide a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years for possession of CSAM. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Concord Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. 

CONCORD – A federal grand jury this week indicted a Maine man for escape from custody, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. According to the indictment, on July 18, 2026, Michel D’Angelo, age 46, left federal custody from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester without permission. 

If convicted, D’Angelo faces up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. D’Angelo is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. D’Angelo will appear before the Court at a later date.

The United States Marshals Service is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – A former USDA employee was indicted this week for sending emails containing threats to a federal law enforcement officer, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Keith Bergstrom, 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of Interstate Communications of Threats, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c).

The details contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Each charge of threatening communications carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Yesterday a federal grand jury indicted a Massachusetts man for armed bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. According to the indictment, on June 12, 2026, Joseph Sawyer, age 52, allegedly used a firearm to rob the St. Mary’s Bank located at 4 Northwest Boulevard in Nashua. 

If convicted, Sawyer faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. Sawyer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Sawyer will appear before the Court at a later date.

FBI Boston is leading the investigation. The Nashua Police Department, FBI New Jersey, FBI Albany, New Jersey State Police, New York State Police, Warren County (NY) Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Northern District of New York, and District of Massachusetts provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.

CONCORD – Eddy Balbuena-Gomez, age 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to a one-count Superseding Indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Balbuena-Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced in the case by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samantha Elliott on December 10, 2026.

According to court documents and statements, in early 2024, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Massachusetts and operating in New Hampshire. During the course of the conspiracy, the DTO trafficked multiple kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Balbuena-Gomez worked as a “runner” for the DTO, who would drive from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to sell drugs, including to an undercover officer. Balbuena-Gomez has been detained since his arrest in October 2024. 

This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, and not less than 5 years of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office and New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – Two individuals pleaded guilty in federal court today for their participation in a drug trafficking organization that brought cocaine and fentanyl into New Hampshire, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Jose Cordero Ortiz, 40, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Drug. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2026.

Jhonattan A. Jimemenz, 39, of Boston, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Drug. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2026. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

According to documents and statements made in court, the leader of the organization, Juan Ramon Soto Baez, 55, was sentenced on July 1, 2025 to 100 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release for his role in the drug trafficking operation. The organization was run like a business, operating “dispatch” telephone lines where customers could call in to order narcotics. Soto Baez, or a trusted member of the conspiracy working for him, would take customer orders on the phone, and then Soto Baez would either deliver the order himself or send a runner to conduct the drug sale at an arranged meeting location. In addition to Soto Baez, Ortiz, and Jimenez, more than 10 others have been convicted as part of this operation. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – A Milton man was sentenced in federal court to 100 months in prison with four years of supervised release for one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, in a case brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force. 

Jacob D. King, age 42, was sentenced by U.S District Court Judge Joseph Laplante yesterday. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, King purchased over $60,000 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl from a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) between November 2023 and December 2023. A New Hampshire state investigation led to a search warrant of King’s Milton residence in January of 2024 resulting in the seizure of a weapon, fentanyl, methamphetamine, other drugs, $8,000 cash and multiple cellphones. Investigators discovered messages that revealed King’s transactions with the Massachusetts-based DTO. Investigators learned that King travelled to Massachusetts, and that at least one member of the trafficking conspiracy appeared to visit King’s Milton home, to exchange cash for large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

“Those like Mr. King who traffic in dangerous illicit drugs that bring grave harm to New Hampshire communities will face serious criminal consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “We will continue to work with federal and state law enforcement partners to disrupt these trafficking networks and put those who run their illegal operations behind bars.”

“This sentence sends a clear message: anyone who traffics methamphetamine and fentanyl across state lines and profits from the harm they cause will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “These deadly drugs devastate families and communities, and DEA remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for bringing these dangerous substances into our neighborhoods.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department, the Bedford Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the Laconia Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department, and Paralegal Specialist Hayley Orlando provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles V. DeJoie III prosecuted this case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

CONCORD – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Roberto Ramon-Avalo, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott scheduled Avalo’s sentencing for November 9, 2026.

According to the court documents and statements made in court, beginning in early 2024, the DEA began an investigation into an unknown individual who was selling multiple-ounce quantities of methamphetamine in the Rochester, New Hampshire area. During the investigation, two DEA cooperating sources (or “CS”) communicated with another individual to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl. Each time, Avalo traveled to New Hampshire to deliver the drugs at the agreed upon price. In December 2025, DEA obtained a search warrant for a suspected drug house in Boston that Avalo and another individual were using to conduct their drug trafficking activity. In the residence, DEA found items used to package and mix narcotics and approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine and other controlled substances. After Avalo’s arrest, DEA found more controlled substances in a drug hide built into the dash of his car, including more than 200 grams of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of fentanyl.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The Portsmouth Police Department, Somersworth Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Charles DeJoie are prosecuting the case. 

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.