Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald and Manchester Police Chief Enoch F. Willard announce that Preston Thorpe, age 25, was sentenced by the Hillsborough County Superior Court (Northern District) to 15 to 30 years stand committed in the New Hampshire State Prison for possession of the controlled drug 3,4-dicholo-N-[2-(dimethylamino)-cyclohexyl]-N-methylbenzamide (also known as "U-47700") with the intent to distribute. U-47700 is a synthetic opioid that is classified as a Schedule I drug.

On December 24, 2016, Manchester police officers discovered 30 grams of U-47700 in Mr. Thorpe's apartment. Additional evidence found inside the apartment, including two boxes of plastic baggies in close proximity to the drugs and drug residue found on the kitchen countertops, indicated that Mr. Thorpe possessed the drug with the intent to distribute it. Mr. Thorpe was convicted following a bench trial before the Hillsborough County Superior Court in August of 2017.

Attorney General MacDonald said, "This prosecution, and the resulting sentence, send a significant message to those who would trade and do business with this dangerous narcotic. The possession and distribution of opioids, such as U-47700, will not be tolerated and this sentence highlights the significant sanctions for those who do so. Mr. Thorpe's actions are part of the larger opioid epidemic plaguing New Hampshire, and this prosecution and sentencing demonstrate that there are visible consequences for those, like Mr. Thorpe, who knowingly perpetuate the problem."