NH Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Goshen

Concord, NH – The U.S. Marshals Service – NH Joint Fugitive Task Force (JFTF), in conjunction with Newport Police Department and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, are pleased to announce the capture of “NH Most Wanted” fugitive, Aaron Butler, who was taken into custody Tuesday in Goshen. The arrest signals the end of a seventeen-month hunt that included Butler being featured as the “Fugitive of the Week” in December 2022, which was distributed throughout the New Hampshire media and law enforcement networks.

Butler, 34, was wanted on state arrest warrants charging the unlawful sale of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as felon in possession of a firearm, and armed career criminal. These charges triggered a U.S. District Court arrest warrant for Butler, who was placed on federal supervised release due to a drug trafficking conviction in 2019, and his continued criminal activity violated the conditions of release set forth by the government. Although Butler will have to answer for his failures to comply with federal supervision, his legal troubles may not end there, as a Newport Police investigation into the state charges is ongoing.

After key intelligence gathered by the Newport PD and Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office led the U.S. Marshals JFTF members to surround a residence just a mile South of the Goshen Town Offices, Butler was caught fleeing out the rear of the residence when the arrest team knocked and announced their presence. Subsequently, the residence was cleared of safety hazards by the U.S. Marshals and handed over to Newport Detectives who executed a search warrant.

Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals - New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, it has been part of, and empowered by, the community we serve. Its commitment to enhance the protection of the public through partnerships with local and state jurisdictions has resulted in thousands of arrests. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally, the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 8 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.