Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Methuen man, Shawn Hart, was sentenced on May 6 in federal court in Boston to 10 years in prison for trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition, and using a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
Hart, age 45, received his sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment. In October 2025, Hart pleaded guilty to several charges: distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Hart was identified as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances on the North Shore region in August 2022. On September 15, 2022, he distributed approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills that contained about 68 grams of fentanyl during a controlled purchase operation in North Billerica. Later, on June 1, 2023, Hart distributed around 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills suspected to contain fentanyl along with a privately manufactured "ghost gun" loaded with ammunition at his home in Methuen.
Authorities seized three additional firearms from Hart’s residence after his arrest as well as equipment used for making counterfeit pills and various suspected narcotics. Because Hart has multiple previous state felony convictions—including armed robbery and assault—he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said: "Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen Police Department." Jarod A. Forget (Special Agent in Charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration) and Thomas Greco (Special Agent in Charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) also participated in announcing the case outcome.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws through prosecutions including those involving national security threats and civil rights violations; it employs over two hundred attorneys and staff across offices statewide according to its official website.
