Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella and Belknap County Attorney Andrew B. Livernois announce that Jose Mitchell Marquez, age 36, of Methuen, Massachusetts, has been sentenced in the Belknap County Superior Court to 15 years to life in the New Hampshire State Prison.

Marquez was sentenced for violations of the New Hampshire Controlled Drug Act, including transporting, or possessing more than five grams of fentanyl with the intent to sell, despite having a previous felony drug trafficking conviction; as well as four counts of knowingly selling more than five grams of fentanyl, despite having a previous felony drug trafficking conviction.

The sentence comes after an investigation initiated by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force in March of 2023, which culminated in his arrest on May 25, 2023. As a result, 812.17 grams of fentanyl was seized, and the investigation revealed that Mr. Marquez was responsible for distributing numerous kilograms of fentanyl throughout New Hampshire over a two-year period.

“I want to thank the members of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, the Belknap County Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in this case for their tireless efforts investigating and prosecuting Mr. Marquez. Fentanyl is devastating too many families. This case is just one example of how law enforcement agencies in our state work together to target and remove this deadly drug from our communities,” said Attorney General Formella. “Our Drug Task Force remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks by targeting dealers and preventing the flow of deadly drugs throughout the Granite State.”

According to Facts about Fentanyl (dea.gov), two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage. From the amount seized from Mr. Marquez, 812,170 milligrams of potentially lethal fentanyl were taken out of circulation in the state of New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office would like to thank the New Hampshire State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tilton Police Department, and the Franklin Police Department who assisted in this investigation, as well as the Belknap County Attorney’s Office who brought this investigation to a successful outcome.