Notorious New Hampshire Felon To Be Sentenced In January On Meth, Fentanyl Dealing Charges

MANCHESTER, NH — A New Hampshire felon with a criminal history dating back more than 25 years was found guilty on drug dealing charges in Hillsborough County Superior Court North on Friday.

Marcus Cherry, 45, was found guilty of conspiracy to sell a controlled drug-drug enterprise leader, sale of a controlled drug-fentanyl, and four counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to sell-fentanyl, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, all felonies. The jury deliberated for four hours and sat through six days of testimony before rendering a verdict. He is expected to be sentenced on Jan. 5, 2024

Michael Garrity, the director of communications for the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, said Cherry would be subject to “enhanced sentences” due to his priors.

Attorney General John Formella thanked the trial team and police, noting Manchester, Hooksett, and Bedford law enforcement officials, as well as the DEA and FBI, worked on the case.

“Going forward,” he said, “we at the Department of Justice will continue our work to seek justice and protect the public from the dangers that large scale drug dealers, who sell extraordinarily dangerous substances like fentanyl and xylazine disguised as other drugs, pose to the citizens of New Hampshire.”

Formella said state officials would continue to devote all necessary resources to identify and prosecute drug enterprise leaders like Cherry.

The charges stem from incidents in Manchester in February, September, October, and November 2021, according to court filings.

According to superior court records, Cherry’s criminal history in the Granite State dates back a quarter of a century.

Back in 1997, Cherry was arrested on multiple acts prohibited charges in Manchester. During the course of the trials on the charges, he was accused of bail jumping twice and pleaded to a single count. Cherry also pleaded guilty to a single acts prohibited count in 1999.

In January 2016, Cherry was involved in two separate cases in Manchester involving assault and weapons. He was charged in March 2016 with felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, felonious use of a firearm, and two first-degree assault charges. In January 2017, he was charged with first-degree assault, hand guns, felon, gun application, and felonious use of a firearm charges.

In August 2016, Cherry was charged on a federal felon firearm possession charge after an incident in Manchester. He pleaded guilty to the charge. In August 2017, he was sent to prison for 30 months. The prior gun and shooting charges from January 2016 were noll prossed in September 2016 and October 2017.

In Concord, in December 2019, Cherry was accused of delivery of articles to prisoners and pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2021. He received a suspended sentence. Nine months later, he was accused of violating probation. That case remains active, with a status conference booked for Jan. 2, 2024.

Cherry also has three felony counts of witness tampering from November 2021 in Manchester working their way through Hillsborough County Superior Court North. He was indicted on the charges in June 2022. Cherry has a status conference on those charges slated for Jan. 4, 2024.

Cherry will be sentenced on the drug dealing and other charges on Jan. 5, 2024.

Have you got a news tip? Please send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Check out the #FITN2024 NH Patch post channel and follow our politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.