NH to Prosecute those 'Criminally Responsible' for Drug Overdoses

CONCORD, NH – As heroin and fentanyl continue to ravage the state of New Hampshire with destruction and death, the state’s top law enforcement official and an attorney for the federal government are joining forces to bring charges against anyone who is found criminally responsible for drug overdoes in the Granite State.

On April 25, 2016, US Attorney Emily Gray Rice and NH Attorney General Joseph Foster announced the creation of “an inter-office team of experienced, career prosecutors targeting the prosecution of opiate overdose deaths,” in order to increase the coordination of resources between the organizations and bring stiffer charges against drug dealers.

“This effort builds on the initiative started by my office at the end of 2015 to treat drug overdose deaths as crime scenes, and to bring to justice those who have sold drugs to overdose victims,” Foster noted.

Rice added, “Our joint team effort to prosecute those who are criminally responsible for overdose deaths is a critical element of the multi-faceted law enforcement approach needed to combat the drug epidemic in our state.”

The decision comes at a point where the state of New Hampshire now ranks third per-capita of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Last year, 431 people died from overdoses due to drugs. Of those, fentanyl played a role in 283 of those deaths. The increase is a staggering increase from just a few years ago, according to state data.

The inter-office team will include all of the drug prosecutors in both offices.

Both Rice and Foster praised the tremendous work done by law enforcement to fight the current epidemic: “We are deeply grateful for the incredible work being done by local, state and federal law enforcement and by the county attorneys, and their tireless commitment to fighting drug crimes on every front. Our prosecutors are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners and the county attorneys’ offices to hold accountable those who are engaging in or profiting from the distribution of illegal drugs in our state.”