In a shocking turn of events, a Manchester man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, a highly potent opioid that has ravaged communities nationwide.
Michael Messina, 34, of Manchester, was handed down the sentence by a federal judge, following an investigation by the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
According to court documents, on June 4, 2019, Manchester police detectives observed Messina engage in an apparent drug deal. Immediately after the exchange, the customer placed a small object down his pants. The two men then separated and walked in opposite directions. Suspecting another drug deal, detectives separately detained both Messina and the customer.
After relinquishing a quantity of fentanyl to detectives, the customer admitted purchasing fentanyl from Messina. Messina was approached and dropped money and a cellophane wrapper containing powder that later tested positive for fentanyl. After waiving his rights, Messina admitted to selling drugs to the customer.
“Fentanyl traffickers endanger lives by selling an extremely deadly substance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. “To protect the public, we are working with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute the traffickers who are distributing fentanyl and other dangerous opioids in Manchester.”
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a nationwide initiative aimed at combating the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the community from the dangers of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. This sentence sends a strong message to those who would seek to profit from the suffering of others.
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Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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