HOOKSETT, NH — A man with two decades of criminal history is accused of more weapon and drug charges after arrests in Hooksett and Manchester.
Back on May 11, Hooksett police stopped a Mitsubishi Lancer on West River Road just before 3:30 a.m. due to a suspended registration, according to police. During the interaction with the driver and a passenger, later identified as Matthew Stark, 38, of Gilmanton Iron Works, they were told the vehicle would not be driven from the scene because its registration was suspended, according to Lt. Valerie Lamy of the Hooksett Police Department.
“Furthermore,” she added, “after observing drug paraphernalia inside, the officer determined that she would be seizing the vehicle to apply for a search warrant.”
Stark was accused of requesting to remove a backpack from the car, which was in the trunk, but was denied, due to the pending search warrant, Lamy added.
A couple of days later, the warrant was granted, and during the search of Stark’s backpack, police reportedly found about 720 grams of suspected fentanyl in pressed sticks, around 70 grams of crack cocaine, a scale, and more than $7,000 in rolled and banded cash. A warrant was issued for his arrest on subsequent drug possession and two drug sale charges.
On July 8, Manchester police arrested Stark on the Hooksett warrant and more drug charges, according to Heather Hamel of the Manchester Police Department.
The department’s special enforcement division received information about Stark being in an apartment on Spruce Street. A search warrant was requested and executed by SWAT and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, she said.
“During the execution of the search warrant,” Hamel said, “police seized approximately 701 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, 119 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 112 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 17 grams of suspected cocaine, and a quantity of U.S. currency.”
Hamel said three guns were also seized — a Ruger 1911 .45-caliber handgun, a GSG Tactical .22-caliber handgun, and a Remington-style revolver.
Editor’s note: This post was derived from information provided by the Hooksett and Manchester police departments and does not constitute a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Stark was arrested later by police during a motor vehicle stop in Manchester and charged with drug sale, possession, driving after revocation or suspension, and armed career criminal. He was then turned over to Hooksett police on that department’s charges, processed, declined bail, and was held at the Merrimack County Jail for future arraignment.
Stark, according to superior court records, has more than two decades of criminal history, mostly in the Lakes Region.
In Laconia in December 2005, when he was a teen, Stark was accused of second-degree assault and felony theft. He pleaded guilty to both charges in August 2006. Stark was given work release in January 2007 and about 11 months later, was accused of violating probation. After being sentenced, he was accused of violating probation again in August 2008. A bail forfeiture hearing was held in December 2008, and a probation violation hearing was held in March 2009.
Stark was accused of controlled drug act in Laconia in December 2009, but the charge was nolle prossed in August 2010. In June 2010, he was accused of controlled drug act in Laconia, but the charge was nolle prossed in November 2010. Stark was charged with bail jumping in May 2010 and pleaded guilty a year later to the charge and received a two-to-four-year prison sentence with 113 days time served credit.
Stark was accused of selling drugs in March 2011 and theft and false report in April 2011 in Gilford. He pleaded guilty to a single sales count in April 2012 and received a one-and-a-half-to-three-year prison sentence with $620 in fines and $190 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to the false report and theft charges in June 2011 and received a suspended sentence.
In August 2013, Stark was accused of acts prohibited and possession of drugs in Salem. The acts prohibited charge was nolle prossed in April 2014. In August 2014, he received a one- to three-year prison sentence with 312 days of time-served credit and a $424 fine.
In Laconia, Stark was accused of controlled drug act in August 2016 and deal-possess prescription drugs in June 2017. In September 2017, he pleaded guilty to the latter charge and received a one-year suspended sentence. In May 2018, Stark received another one-year sentence and a $620 fine in the controlled drug act case, which was knocked down to a misdemeanor, and the sentence and fine were suspended for three years.
Stark racked up felon in possession of dangerous weapon, handguns-armed career criminal, and burglary charges, all felonies, after incidents in Laconia in June 2021. In December 2021, he pleaded guilty to the burglary and weapon possession charges. He received two two-and-a-half- to five-year sentences, both suspended for three years. In June 2023, Stark was accused of violating probation after being charged with subsequent drug possession in Laconia. The drug charge was nolle prossed later. Stark was also accused of acts prohibited in Franklin in December 2023. Stark pleaded guilty to the violation charge in April 2024. He received a 12-month jail sentence, deferred for six months. Stark was accused of violating probation or parole again in October 2024. He pleaded guilty a month later and was sentenced to 12 months in jail and given 43 days of time-served credit. In January 2025, Stark pleaded guilty to the Franklin drug charge and received a 12-month jail sentence and $434 fine, both suspended for three years.
In April 2025, Stark was awarded work release with electronic monitoring.
Requests for criminal records were made for several of his prior cases on July 8.
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