CONCORD – Zachary Poisson, 27, of Rochester, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for drug and firearm charges, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 27, 2020, Somersworth police officers were dispatched to a local store for a report of an attempted theft. One of the suspects, Poisson, who was on probation at the time, was placed under arrest. A satchel strapped across his body was searched incident to arrest and revealed $4,304 and a bag containing over 67 grams of fentanyl.
Officers later searched Poisson’s vehicle, where they found a 9mm handgun and a quantity of crack cocaine. As a convicted felon, Poisson was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“Armed drug traffickers present a significant threat to public safety in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “By dealing fentanyl, this defendant was profiting from the sale of a deadly substance. This danger was further enhanced by his unlawful possession of a firearm. As this case demonstrates, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold armed drug dealers accountable for their unlawful conduct.”
“Convicted felon Zachary Poisson’s possession of a 9mm handgun to protect himself while dealing fentanyl and crack cocaine in and around Somersworth, NH, has now landed him behind bars for six years,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Keeping firearms and drugs out of the hands of convicted felons, and off of our streets, is critical to keeping our communities safe and the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to do exactly that.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Somersworth Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande.
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