Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

            CONCORD - Seth G. Shackford, 41, of Nashua, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

           According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about September 10, 2020, Nashua police detectives arrested Shackford on an outstanding federal warrant during a motor vehicle stop.  A standard inventory search was conducted prior to towing the vehicle.  Officers located a bag on the passenger seat containing unused hypodermic needles.  A backpack located in the rear passenger seat revealed a safe.  After obtaining a search warrant, officers opened the safe and found over 80 grams of methamphetamine, over 10 grams of fentanyl and a ledger with references to drugs, cash, and customers. 

           Shackford is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2021.

           “Drug traffickers continue to pose a significant danger to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “To protect the public, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who choose to sell these deadly substances.”

            This matter was investigated by the Nashua 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.