Manchester Man Pleads Guilty To Fentanyl Trafficking

           CONCORD - Francis Harrington, 38, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.  

          According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 22, 2019, a Manchester police officer responded to a report of two males “passed out” in a parked vehicle at a restaurant.  Harrington was the passenger in the vehicle.  After being engaged by medical personnel, the officer observed Harrington moving slowly and reaching around the console and floor area of the vehicle.  Harrington was ordered out of the vehicle and to put his hands on his head.  The officer performed a protective pat search and located a large bulge in the waistband of Harrington’s pants.  When the officer asked Harrington about the object, Harrington replied “drugs.”  The officer then removed the object, which was a bag containing 198 grams of fentanyl.  He was arrested at the scene.

          Harrington is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2021.

          “Fentanyl traffickers continue to pose a serious threat to public health and safety in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Through Operation SOS, we are targeting the drug dealers who are endangering the public by selling this very dangerous substance.  I am grateful to the Manchester Police for preventing this significant amount of fentanyl from jeopardizing lives in the Queen City.” 

          This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.

          This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.).  In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts.  The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.   In New Hampshire, 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.