Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella, State Police Colonel Nathan Noyes, and United States Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge Brian D. Boyle announce that today Russell Adjutant, age 31, of North Stratford, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by the Coos County Superior Court to 14–28 years stand committed in the New Hampshire State Prison for conspiring to sell fentanyl, as well as a concurrent 2–6 years stand committed for being a felon in possession of multiple firearms.

The evidence in this case established that on January 28, 2021, Mr. Adjutant sold approximately 30 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Colebrook, New Hampshire. During this transaction, Mr. Adjutant told the informant that he was on his way to resupply with more fentanyl, so law enforcement officials followed Mr. Adjutant (who was riding in a car driven by his girlfriend) to an apartment in Berlin, New Hampshire. Mr. Adjutant and his girlfriend subsequently left Berlin and were stopped in Stark, New Hampshire, at which point officials discovered that Mr. Adjutant and his girlfriend were in possession of approximately 236 grams (0.52 pounds) of fentanyl. In an interview conducted after his arrest, Mr. Adjutant confirmed that he had purchased the 236 grams of fentanyl from his supplier in Berlin and that he had wanted to purchase more, but his supplier didn't have as much fentanyl as Mr. Adjutant hoped to buy.

After his arrest on January 28, 2021, law enforcement officials searched two storage units Mr. Adjutant had in Lancaster, New Hampshire. This search resulted in the seizure of nine firearms including an assault rifle, three handguns, three other rifles, and two shotguns, as well as a large amount of cash.

Evidence presented to the court at sentencing demonstrated that Mr. Adjutant had been regularly purchasing significant quantities of fentanyl for many months, buying anywhere from a half-kilogram to over a kilogram at a time from different suppliers located in various parts of New Hampshire. Mr. Adjutant would then sell this fentanyl within the North Country.

The investigation and resolution of this case was the result of the collaborative efforts of the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Drug Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.