Manchester Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Participating in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

             CONCORD –Jovan Callaghan, 25, of Manchester, was sentenced on Monday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2020, investigators received information from confidential sources that Chrystal Callaghan and her co-defendant son, Jovan Callaghan, were selling crack cocaine and fentanyl from their residence in Manchester. Law enforcement officers learned that Chrystal Callaghan and another co-conspirator, Melissa Gazaway, would travel to New York to purchase crack cocaine. On three separate occasions, officers conducted lawful traffic stops of their vehicle returning from New York and seized over 300 grams of crack cocaine. In late 2020, confidential sources conducted six controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from the three co-defendants.

            On December 24, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the Manchester residence and seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm, along with large amounts of cash and drug use and packaging materials. 

            Chrystal and Jovan Callaghan previously pleaded guilty on March 30, 2021.  Chrystal Callaghan was sentenced to 54 months on July 28, 2021. Gazaway pleaded guilty on April 20, 2021 and awaits sentencing.

            “Drug traffickers are endangering the safety of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “As this case demonstrates, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who are seeking to profit from the sales of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other dangerous drugs.  By getting drug dealers off the street of Manchester, we seek to improve the safety and security of the city’s residents.”

            “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Callaghan accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

             This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, the Manchester Police Department, and the Nashua Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Jennifer Cole Davis.