Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses
CONCORD – Nicholas Messina, 27, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Messina was arrested at a hotel in Nashua, New Hampshire, with fentanyl, cocaine, thousands of dollars, and a loaded firearm. In a post-arrest interview, Messina admitted that he possessed the drugs for distribution.
Messina is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2019.
"Drugs and guns are a potentially lethal combination,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Traffickers who use firearms to further their distribution activities present a heightened concern for law enforcement agencies. In order to protect the public from harm, we will aggressively prosecute those who engage in this hazardous activity.”
“ATF will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts to vigorously combat drug traffickers and the threat they pose to our citizens by illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of their illegal drug trade," said Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division.
This matter was investigated by the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski.