NH Man Gets 7 Years on Illegal Gun Charges

CONCORD, NH — A New Hampshire man was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges, according to acting-U.S. Attorney John Farley. Marcos Nieves, 40, was sentenced to 83 months last week after pleading guilty in December of last year.

After a shooting in Manchester in August 2015, police obtained a search warrant for Nieves’ home and found two stolen AK-47 style weapons, several firearm magazine clips, ammunition, drugs, drug dealing paraphernalia, and personal documents identifying Nieves in a bedroom closet.

“At the time, Nieves was prohibited from possessing any firearm as a result of at least one prior felony conviction,” Farley stated.

Nieves was indicted on these federal firearms charges in April 2016 and he pleaded guilty in December 2016.

Nieves also pleaded guilty to narcotics charges in Hillsborough County in connection with the drugs recovered during the execution of the search warrant. He is serving a sentence of two to four years in New Hampshire State Prison. The Court’s sentence on federal charges will run concurrent with entirety the state sentence. Following his release from federal prison, Nieves will be subject to a period of supervised release of three years.

Commenting on the sentence, Farley stated, “Working with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who possess firearms unlawfully or use firearms to commit crimes. Individuals who commit crimes involving guns should be aware that they will face substantial penalties for their actions.”