Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald and Weare Police Chief Sean Kelly announce the arrest and arraignment of Stephen Benoit, age 29, of Manchester, New Hampshire, for dispensing a drug which caused the death of Christopher Gagne of Weare, New Hampshire.

Christopher Gagne, age 28, died at his residence in Weare after ingesting a fatal amount of the controlled drug fentanyl on November 5, 2016. Members of the Weare Police Department have been actively investigating the circumstances of his death since that time. Mr. Benoit was arrested yesterday - September 13, 2017 - and arraigned this morning at the 9th Circuit-District Division-Goffstown. He was arraigned on a single complaint alleging that on November 5, 2016, Stephen Benoit did knowingly dispense a controlled drug to Christopher Gagne, and that controlled drug was then ingested by Christopher Gagne resulting in Mr. Gagne's death.

Mr. Benoit's bail was set at $50,000 cash only with various conditions. Mr. Benoit is scheduled to appear for a Probable Cause hearing at the 9th Circuit-District Division - Goffstown at 9:30 a.m. on September 20, 2017. The charges and allegations are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.