Dominican man pleads guilty to selling 500 grams of fentanyl in Portsmouth

CONCORD - A Dominican man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

Marcos Alcantara Hernandez, 30, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in May 2021, Hernandez conspired with Kevin Rodriguez and others to sell about 500 grams of fentanyl to a customer in New Hampshire. On May 19, 2021, a DEA cooperating source negotiated the sale of fentanyl with an individual they knew as "NH Dude." After the informant and "NH Dude" reached an agreement on the quantity, price, and location of the sale, Hernandez coordinated with Rodriguez and others to obtain the drugs from a supplier.

After Rodriguez obtained the fentanyl, Hernandez texted Rodriguez the meet location in Portsmouth and followed Rodriguez to New Hampshire where Rodriguez sold the drugs to the confidential informant.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a sentence of up to 20 years' incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Hernandez' sentencing is set for for April 6.