Richard Black, 23, of 10 Bradford Lane, Litchfield

CONCORD – The Litchfield man taken into custody in July 2019 following an extensive drug-distribution investigation by Nashua and Litchfield police has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges stemming from the investigation.

U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire Scott W. Murray said Richard Black, 23, entered guilty pleas on Monday to charges of distributing fentanyl and possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Black is scheduled for sentencing on May 12 in federal court, Murray said.

According to Nashua police reports filed in July 2019, officers and detectives stopped a vehicle in which Black was a passenger and arrested him on a warrant accusing him of selling quantities of heroin/fentanyl to people at a variety of locations in Litchfield and Hudson.

In searching Black, police said detectives found about 137 grams of heroin/fentanyl in his possession. They said the drugs were individually packaged for sale.

Investigators subsequently executed a search warrant for Black’s residence, which at the time was 10 Bradford Lane in Litchfield. There, according to reports, they located and seized additional quantities of heroin/fentanyl, along with a quantity of suboxone.

In all, police said, detectives seized roughly 200 grams of heroin/fentanyl, “which they believe would otherwise have been sold to citizens of … Litchfield and its neighboring communities.”

The charges they filed against Black at the time included four counts of sale of a controlled drug – heroin/fentanyl; and one count each of possession of heroin/fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possession of Suboxone (buprenorphine naloxone).

According to Murray, court documents and statements made in federal court indicate that Nashua police learned Black was distributing fentanyl in the area between June 27 and July 18, 2019.

During that period, Murray said, an undercover officer made four purchases of fentanyl from Black.

Murray described fentanyl as “a deadly drug that has caused substantial damage to Nashua and communities throughout our state,” and said that authorities, “through Operation SOS, are fighting back against the fentanyl dealers.”

He referred to the federal anti-drug program Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, created in 2018 by then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.