Nashua Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

            CONCORD - Autumn St. John, 27, of Nashua, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today. 

           According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 29, 2018, a cooperating individual, at the direction of the Nashua Police Department, purchased fentanyl from St. John.  Later, on June 3, 2019, a Nashua detective on patrol watched St. John make a hand-to-hand sale of fentanyl.  After being arrested, St. John admitted that she had just sold drugs to a customer. 

            St. John is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2020.

            “Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is damaging lives throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Through Operation S.O.S., we are working with the Nashua Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are distributing fentanyl and other deadly drugs in Hillsborough County.”          

            This matter was investigated by the Nashua Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim 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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