On January 21, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Marshall Gagne, 35, of Weathersfield, Vermont. The charges include possession of firearms as a convicted felon, possessing fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Gagne’s arraignment is set for February 23, 2026 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
Court records state that on May 19, 2025, law enforcement arrested Gagne in a Claremont, New Hampshire hotel room along with six others after forcing entry. Officers found evidence that firearms and illegal drugs had recently been flushed down the drain. At the time of arrest, Gagne had over $11,000 in cash and carried a backpack with traces of fentanyl and cocaine.
The following day, police executed a search warrant at a residence in Weathersfield associated with Gagne. During this search, authorities discovered thousands more dollars suspected to be drug proceeds and twelve firearms. Among these were privately made “ghost” guns and a silencer. A camping trailer at the location contained the box for the handgun recovered from the hotel room where Gagne was apprehended earlier.
Gagne has previous felony convictions that prohibit him from owning firearms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated: “An indictment contains allegations only and that Marshall Gagne is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.” If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 15 years for firearm possession as a felon, up to 20 years for drug distribution charges, plus an additional mandatory minimum sentence of five years for possessing firearms during drug trafficking activities. Sentencing would be determined by the District Court using advisory guidelines and statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt acknowledged several agencies involved in the investigation: “I commend the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the FBI, the Claremont New Hampshire Police Department, the Hartford Vermont Police Department, and the Brattleboro Police Department.”
Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill will prosecute this case; no defense attorney has yet appeared on behalf of Gagne.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national effort by the Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration activities as well as dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
