Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

           CONCORD - Matthew Gittings, 37, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

           According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 19, 2018, a New Hampshire state trooper initiated a traffic stop on I-95 after observing a motor vehicle violation.  Gittings was one of two passengers and was seated in the rear of the vehicle.  After speaking to the driver outside of the vehicle, the trooper asked Gittings for his identification.  When the trooper opened the rear passenger door to retrieve Gittings’ identification, he observed a large knotted plastic baggie of fentanyl in the rear door compartment.  A consensual search of Gittings’ backpack revealed two digital scales, unused plastic baggies, and rubber bands.  The trooper conducted a pat search of Gittings and located additional fentanyl.

           Gittings is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2021.  

           “The damage that fentanyl has caused to our communities cannot be overstated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “We continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug traffickers who are responsible for peddling this dangerous substance in the Granite State.”

           This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and New Hampshire State Police Mobile Enforcement Team.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

           This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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