CONCORD - Nestor Santiago Torres, 33, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the evening of Jan. 31, 2018, a New Hampshire State Trooper made a traffic stop of a Ford Expedition on Interstate 93 in the Salem. The defendant was a passenger in the vehicle. During a consensual search of the vehicle, a Trooper located a clear plastic package beneath the front passenger’s seat that contained approximately 373.8 grams of fentanyl. Multiple sandwich bags and a digital scale also were recovered from the motor vehicle. During a later interview, the, defendant Torres admitted that the drugs belonged to him and that he had been engaged in the distribution of drugs.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9th 2019.
“The illegal distribution of fentanyl poses an immediate and ongoing threat to people of New Hampshire," said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to eliminate this threat, we will continue to work closely with the entire law enforcement community to identify and prosecute those who are responsible. I commend the State Police for their highway enforcement work in this case. Their efforts prevented a substantial amount of this deadly substance from being distributed in the Granite State."
“This prosecution is another win for the people of New Hampshire and our region," said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI and our law enforcement partners stand ever-ready to fight against the plague of opioid and fentanyl trafficking in our communities."
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Davis.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
