Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

           CONCORD – Troy Cote, 52, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to fentanyl trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, Cote was part of a drug trafficking organization that sold fentanyl and cocaine to customers in Manchester.  In July 2019, a cooperating individual purchased fentanyl from Cote.  The investigation revealed that Cote had sold drugs as part of a drug trafficking organization on numerous occasions.   

            Cote is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2021.   Rosemarie Cote pleaded guilty on November 25, 2020 and awaits sentencing.  Christopher Juneau pleaded guilty on September 28, 2020 and awaits sentencing.  Two other defendants are scheduled to go to trial in March.

            “Criminal drug trafficking organizations make dangerous substances like fentanyl and cocaine available for purchase in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Their illegal activities undermine public health and safety, diminishing the quality of life for all who are impacted. I am grateful for the strong enforcement action taken by the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force in this case. By facilitating cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies they make the Granite State a safer place.”

            “This group’s constant churn of drug transactions kept their customers in Manchester awash in deadly fentanyl and cocaine. Shutting them down makes the community safer, and with today’s guilty plea---Troy Cote is out of business,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Investigations like this illustrate the continuing impact our Safe Streets Gang Task Force has on illegal drug trafficking organizations that prey on our communities amid the opioid epidemic.”

             This matter was investigated by the FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hampshire State Police, Dover Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Nashua Police Department. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance as well.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande. 

             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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