Manchester Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Trafficking, Firearms

CONCORD, NH — A Manchester man has pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mark Manapsil, 35, of Manchester, pleaded guilty to the charges in federal court this week. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he sold cocaine to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement, between Aug. 17, 2016, and Nov. 2, 2016.

The U.S. Attorney's Office also stated that Manapsil sold a semi-automatic rifle for $900 to the person cooperating with law enforcement. The sale occurred on Nov. 29, 2016. Manapsil at the time had a prior felony conviction and has been prohibited to having a firearm.

Manapsil was also found in possession of 497 grams of cocaine on March 22, 2017. Law enforcement discovered the drugs when his vehicle was stopped by the New Hampshire State Police in Nashua, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Drug traffickers are engaged in a hazardous business," said U.S. Attorney Scott Murray. "Frequently, they equip themselves with firearms, thereby increasing the risk to the community. In order to combat this threat, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue federal prosecutions of armed drug traffickers."

Manapsil's case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the State Police and the Manchester Police Department. The investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency task force that supplies federal funding to agencies involved in identifying, investigating and prosecuting major drug trafficking organizations.