Bedford man gets more than15 years in prison on drug, firearms, witness tampering charges

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

Mar. 6—A Bedford man has been sentenced to 15 1/2 years in state prison after pleading guilty to drug, firearms and witness tampering charges for his role in a cross-border fentanyl trafficking operation.

On March 3, Brian Rutherford, 25, pleaded guilty to one special felony count of conspiracy to sell fentanyl (subsequent offense), five counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and six counts of witness tampering, the Attorney General's Office said in a news release.

Rutherford was sentenced in Hillsborough County Superior Court (Northern District) to a total of 15 1/2 to 31 years, stand committed, in state prison. 'Stand committed' is a legal term used in criminal cases, which means an individual must serve the time at the jail, house of corrections or prison.

Rutherford received a stand committed sentence of 14-28 years on the conspiracy charge. On the firearms charges, he received sentences of 3 1/2 to 7 years, to run concurrent to each other and the conspiracy charge. On the witness tampering charges, Rutherford received sentences of 1 1/2 to 3 years, to run concurrent to each other but consecutive to the conspiracy and firearms charges.

Prosecutors say between January of 2018 and June 27, 2019, Rutherford conspired to traffic in kilogram-level quantities of fentanyl, which he brought into New Hampshire from Massachusetts for sale in the Manchester-Bedford area.

Over the course of the investigation, investigators say they seized 952 grams of fentanyl that was in transit to Rutherford. On June 27, 2019, a search warrant executed at Rutherford's Bedford residence resulted in the seizure of 447 grams of fentanyl, five firearms, and other tools of drug distribution, officials said.

After being indicted on these charges Rutherford, through mail and a phone call, tried to have a friend and family members "testify falsely at his trial on the drugs and firearms charges and/or to recant prior statements" made to investigators, officials said in a news release.