United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. – A Weare man was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a prohibited person, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Brian Elliott, age 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty to 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release.  On June 8, 2023, Elliott pled guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

“The lengthy sentence imposed by the Court on the defendant is just punishment for the egregious nature of his conduct,” U.S. Attorney Young stated. “The defendant was a convicted felon who possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, and attempted to poison our community with large amounts of fentanyl.  He pointed a weapon at a police officer, and later engaged in a standoff with police officers in Manchester during his flight from his crime spree.  The message from the courthouse today was clear: this dangerous conduct will not be tolerated in New Hampshire.”

On May 22, 2021, Elliott fled on foot following a vehicle stop by a Goffstown Police Department officer. Elliott drove his vehicle at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of the road prior to jumping from his moving vehicle in order to flee from the pursuing officer.  During a subsequent foot chase, he pointed a gun at the officer and threatened to shoot the officer.  As described in the plea agreement, Elliott dropped a backpack containing approximately 138 grams of fentanyl and over 100 rounds of various types of ammunition. A loaded firearm was also recovered from the scene the next day.  On May 24, 2021, Elliott was apprehended at a Holiday Inn in Manchester, after negotiators succeeded in getting him out of his room.  A subsequent search of his hotel room yielded additional fentanyl, as well as another firearm and ammunition.  Elliott was a convicted felon and was thus legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Goffstown Police Department and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Cam Le are prosecuting the case. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.