Nashua Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

CONCORD, N.H. - A Nashua man was sentenced on May 11, 2023 in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Philip Wetmore, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 8 years in federal prison and 4 years of supervised release. On February 3, 2023, pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

"The sentence imposed reflects the severity of the defendant's criminal conduct, that being trafficking methamphetamine into our communities," said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. "Drug traffickers like the defendant will be prosecuted and will serve lengthy periods of incarceration."

"In selling crystal meth on the streets of Nashua, while carrying a firearm when he was prohibited from doing so, Philip Wetmore has continued to demonstrate why he is a serious threat to the citizens of New Hampshire," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "Today's sentence is another example of our Major Offender Task Force's commitment to removing criminals that plague our communities with drugs, guns, and violence from our streets."

On two occasions in February 2022, Wetmore sold approximately 81 grams of crystal methamphetamine to an individual in Nashua. The FBI arrested Wetmore after the second drug sale. At the time of his arrest, Wetmore had a loaded firearm on him. The FBI subsequently seized approximately 671 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a second loaded firearm, and other items associated with drug trafficking from Wetmore's car. Wetmore is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.