Manchester Man Indicted for Possessing a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

            CONCORD –Michael Francis, 34, of Manchester, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

            According to court documents and statements in court, Francis was arrested on September 1, 2021, for parole violations.  At the time of his arrest, there was a holster under the driver’s seat of his vehicle.  Law enforcement agents later obtained a warrant to search Francis’ residence on Thornton Street in Manchester and recovered four loaded handguns, two of which were stolen.  Law enforcement officers also recovered over 400 grams of suspected fentanyl and over 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine.  The charges allege that Francis is prohibited from possessing firearms due to at least one prior felony conviction.

            Francis is being detained pending trial.  The criminal investigation into his conduct is ongoing.

            The charges in the indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joachim Barth and Aaron Gingrande.

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