CONCORD – Tara Hoisington, 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to two charges of possessing drugs with intent to distribute, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 20, 2020, a Manchester police officer was surveilling a house that was known to be used for drug activity and observed a vehicle operated by Hoisington leave the location. After stopping the vehicle for a traffic violation, the officer observed a crack pipe on the driver’s seat. Hoisington refused consent to search the vehicle. When the officer told her he would seek a search warrant, she asked for the $10,000 in the trunk that she claimed to be holding for a friend. After the officer denied her request, Hoisington and her passenger walked away from the scene.
Officers later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found $14,293.92, scales, cellphones, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. A data extraction of Hoisington’s cellphone included communications related to drug distribution.
On August 24, 2020, Manchester police officers again stopped Hoisington for a traffic violation. After the stop, Hoisington was arrested on outstanding warrants. After her arrest, Hoisington admitted that drugs were in the car. A search pursuant to a warrant yielded $3,120, packaging materials, cellphones, methamphetamine, and approximately 140 grams of fentanyl. She further admitted to drug distribution activities and confirmed the $14,293.29 that had been previously recovered from her vehicle was the proceeds of drug trafficking.
Hoisington is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2022.
“Drug traffickers continue to threaten public safety in Manchester by seeking to profit from the sale of deadly substances,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “Through Operation SOS, we are working closely with the Manchester Police Department to identify and prosecute the criminals who are selling fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in the Queen City. These important enforcement efforts are taking drug dealers off the street and sending the message that those who choose to sell drugs in Manchester will face substantial consequences in federal court.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being 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 the 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.
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