Merrimack Man Sentenced in Federal Drug Case

A Merrimack man was sentenced Aug. 1 to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute.

Gregory Auer, 27, of Merrimack, was arrested on March 9, 2011, after crashing his car in Merrimack, according to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Debra Walsh. Police that responded to the accident noticed signs of impairment, and when Auer failed field sobriety tests, he was arrested for driving under the influence. During the booking process a plastic bag fell out of the leg of his pants, according to the release.

Police had Auer lower his pants and discovered additional bags. One bag tested positive for 14.29 grams of cocaine and one bag tested positive for 42 oxycodone pills at 30 mg each. Officers executed a search warrant on Auer’s vehicle and discovered additional illegal drugs including .68 grams of marijuana; 22 more 30 mg pills; 2.86 grams of crack cocaine and a digital scale. Auer then admitted that he sold drugs, the release says.

In addition to his 21-month sentence, Auer was given three years of supervised release.