CONCORD – Justin McInnes, 32, of Manchester, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison on Tuesday for unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 6, 2018, Manchester police officers approached McInnes as he was in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that had just backed out of a parking spot.  As officers approached, McInnes accelerated toward the officers causing at least one to jump out of the way.  Officers fired at the vehicle and, once the vehicle came to a stop, officers arrested McInnes.  During a search incident to his arrest, officers found suspected cocaine and crack cocaine on McInnes’ person.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found three firearms, counterfeit money, and materials for manufacturing counterfeit money.  Multiple cellular telephones were also seized that contained text messages related to drug distribution.

McInnes is legally prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of prior felony convictions in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2018.

“Armed criminals present a serious threat to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “Thanks to the work of the Manchester Police Department and ATF, this dangerous armed drug trafficker will be in federal prison where he can no longer endanger the citizens of Manchester.  We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the violent criminals who threaten public safety in the Granite State.”

“I am very pleased with the sentence that the defendant received in this matter. His actions directly put the lives of Manchester Police officers and the community as a whole in grave danger and for that he is being held accountable. I am grateful to the officers, detectives and prosecutors who dedicated a great amount of effort and time to this case which directly impacted the defendant receiving the sentence that he did,” says Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg.

This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.

The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.