United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. – A Manchester woman has pleaded guilty in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Katie Girgus, age 30, is the second of the 22 defendants in this conspiracy to plead guilty, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2024. The defendant was indicted on April 26, 2023.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant sold a total of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl and 3.5 grams of crack cocaine between June and November of 2022.  Customers would call a phone number for a “dispatch” line used to purchase narcotics and would speak to a dispatcher who would put the defendant in touch with the customer to complete the drug sale.  The defendant would then arrange to meet with the customer, primarily in Manchester, to sell them drugs.  She would often meet the customer at an agreed-upon address, pick the customer up in her car, and complete the drug transaction inside the car. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Jarad Hodes are prosecuting the case. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.