Adam Montgomery charged with theft, firearms charges

Apr. 4—Authorities announced a slew of weapons and theft-related charges against the father of Harmony Montgomery, the Manchester girl who has been missing for more than two years.

Adam Montgomery, 32, who has been jailed since his arrest in early January, faces charges in connection to the theft of two guns in Manchester sometime in late September or early October 2019.

Harmony, who would be 7, was last seen less than two months after the alleged thefts. She was 5 at the time.

"There is no evidence of any connection between the stolen firearms and the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery," reads a statement by New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and other law enforcement authorities.

Montgomery is charged with stealing a rifle and shotgun from a person with the initials C.F., the statement reads. Montgomery faces two each of the following charges:

* Theft by unauthorized taking.

* Receiving stolen property.

* Felon in possession of a firearm.

* Armed career criminal in possession of a firearm.

Authorities have been frustrated over their inability to locate Harmony, whose mother started contacting authorities late last year about her disappearance. Manchester police issued their first public appeal for help to find Harmony on New Year's Eve 2021.

A reward for information that leads to her whereabouts is now at $150,000. Until Monday, Montgomery had only been charged with striking Harmony in the face, a felony, and three misdemeanor charges dealing with child endangerment and child custody.

It will be difficult for prosecutors to prove the felony assault charge; a report by the state's child protection service attributed her black eye to horseplay.

Authorities recently announced an indictment on the black-eye-related assault. Michael Garrity, a spokesman for Formella, said the misdemeanor endangerment and custody-interference charges also are moving forward.

If convicted of all the latest theft and firearm charges, Montgomery could be sent to prison for decades. The armed career criminal alone carries a minimum sentence of 10 years for each charge.

At the time of the thefts, the Montgomery family was living on a house in Gilford Street on the west side of Manchester. They were evicted from the house on Nov. 27, 2019, and were then living out of cars parked on the streets of Manchester.

Police have said that Harmony was last seen with the family sometime in late November or early December 2019.

The investigation into the latest charges involved the U.S. Marshal Service and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Montgomery is expected to be arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court-North on Tuesday on the latest charges.