United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H., man pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

Michael Warner, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2023.

In August 2020, Warner was observed leaving a known drug source location in Lawrence. Once on the highway, agents stopped Warner, who admitted to buying 70 grams of fentanyl, an amount consistent with narcotics distribution. 

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.