CONCORD, N.H. — A 30-year-old Epsom woman has admitted to fueling the opioid crisis while packing heat. Nicole Roskos pleaded guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms charges, closing in on a case that began with a deadly sale and ended in a trove of guns and fentanyl.
The investigation, laid bare in court filings, started in 2017 when Roskos sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness. That transaction set off a chain of events culminating in a September 2017 raid on her residence by New Hampshire State Police. Inside, officers uncovered a chilling arsenal: four firearms, live ammunition, more than 511 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $24,000 in cash — the spoils of a life built on addiction and violence.
Roskos admitted to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as distributing them. She also copped to using and carrying firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking — a federal offense carrying steep mandatory minimums. The combination of drugs and weapons, prosecutors say, turns neighborhoods into war zones.
Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley didn’t mince words: “Opioids are killing hundreds of residents of New Hampshire each year. The danger posed by drug trafficking is further increased when drug dealers use firearms to further their unlawful activities.” He vowed continued crackdowns, praising law enforcement for pulling lethal materials off the streets.
The case, investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, shines a light on the brutal intersection of the opioid epidemic and gun violence. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine, has ravaged communities across the state. Each gram has the potential to kill dozens — 511 grams represents a mountain of misery.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2018. Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana Konesky is prosecuting. For Roskos, the plea marks the end of a criminal run that fed addiction, stoked fear, and armed a crisis with real bullets.
Related Federal Cases
- Methuen Man Pena Admits Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking & Gun Charge · Massachusetts
- Epsom Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession · New Hampshire
- Manchester Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking · New Hampshire
- Meredith Willey Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking · Massachusetts
- White River Junction Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun, Fentanyl Possession · New Hampshire
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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