Manchester Man Sentenced To 8 Years For Fentanyl Trafficking And Gun Crimes

Robert Audette, 32, of Manchester, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2019, Manchester police detectives executed a search warrant at an apartment Audette shared with his girlfriend, Quinn Pollock. A search of their room yielded $1,200 in counterfeit currency, drug paraphernalia, various drugs, and a loaded 9 mm handgun in the bed headboard. A search of Pollock’s vehicle revealed a backpack that Audette had been seen carrying during police surveillance. Officers had observed Audette place the backpack into the vehicle just prior to the search. The backpack contained a scale, 9 mm ammunition, and baggies containing over 40 grams of fentanyl.

Audette previously pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021. Pollock pleaded guilty to drug charges on November 20, 2020, and received a time-served sentence.

“Armed drug dealers present a serious threat to public health and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Fentanyl traffickers endanger the community by selling a potent and deadly substance. When these drug peddlers are armed with firearms, the risk of violence and death is further increased. As this case demonstrates, we are working closely with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute armed drug traffickers and hold them accountable for their unlawful conduct.”

This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case was 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 a 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.