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Archive for the ‘NEW HAMPSHIRE’ Category
Mistrial Declared In Hillsborough County New Hampshire Baseball Bat Death Trial
June 17th, 2008
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a Manchester, New Hampshire, man charged with second-degree murder in the fatal baseball bat attack on a man three years ago.
Judge James O’Neill declared the mistrial Tuesday in the case of 19-year-old Robinson Garcia.
Earlier Tuesday, two jurors were dismissed, after a day and a half of deliberations. O’Neill said they were dismissed as a result of a letter one juror wrote to him. Two alternates took their place.
Garcia was charged in the death of 41-year-old Stephen Raymond. Police say Raymond was attacked in 2005 after he confronted some children about firing pellets at vehicles.
The attack left Raymond a quadriplegic. He died 10 months later. Appeared Here
Bedford New Hampshire Police Officer Alejandro Jaime Arrested, Quits After Drunken Wreck With Couple On Motorcycle
June 16th, 2008
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE — An off-duty police officer faces drunken-driving charges after a crash in Manchester late Thursday.
Manchester police responded to a collision involving a car and a motorcycle on Tarrytown Road near Hanover Street at about 9 p.m.
Police said Alejandro Jaime, 36, of Hooksett, rear-ended the motorcycle, which was driven by James McLaughlin, 30, of Manchester.
McLaughlin’s wife, Taylor, 31, was a passenger on the motorcycle. Both were thrown from the bike and suffered injuries that were not deemed by police as serious. An ambulance transported the couple to Elliot Hospital and they were later released.
Taylor McLaughlin said she and her husband suffered injuries to their backs, along with scrapes and bruises.
Manchester police said Jaime, who was not injured, identified himself as an off-duty Bedford police officer. Upon conducting a field sobriety test, police said they determined Jaime was impaired.
Read MoreFormer New Hampshire Lawyer Gurrie Fandozzi Sentenced To Just 15 Years In Prison After Beating His 7 Month Old Son - 26 Broken Bones
June 7th, 2008
BRENTWOOD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A Windham father will spend at least 15 years in prison for what a judge called one of the worst cases of child abuse ever seen by police and prosecutors.
Gurrie Fandozzi, 42, a former lawyer, was sentenced yesterday to 15 to 30 years in state prison for cracking six of his 7-month-old son’s ribs and a bone near the baby’s tailbone. Prosecutors had asked for a 20- to 40-year sentence for the seven convictions of first-degree assault.
Tammy Fandozzi suggested the court free her husband, otherwise she and her three children would suffer severe emotional trauma and financial ruin. The couple had their third child since charges were brought against Gurrie Fandozzi.
“They do not understand why their father simply disappeared one day,” she said. “Every time someone comes to the door my son cries, ‘Daddy, Daddy!” He is deeply sad and cries, and I tell him hopefully someday it will be Daddy.”
Read MoreNutcase Mont Vernon New Hampshire Police Chief Rick Brougham Arrested, Suspended Charged With Violation Of Wife’s Emergency Emergency (Protection) Restraining Order - Became Increasingly Violent After She Filed For Divorce, Threatened To Burn House Down, Kill Himself Day Of Divorce
June 2nd, 2008
MONT VERNON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - The Mont Vernon police chief has been charged with violating an emergency restraining order taken out by his wife.
Chief Rick Brougham had to surrender his service weapon under the restraining order and was ordered to have no contact with his wife and three sons.
Town selectmen scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting Monday night with an attorney to decide how to handle what they’re calling a personnel matter. Selectmen confirmed that Brougham surrendered his weapon and was placed on administrative leave.
New Boston Police Chief Chris Krajenka arrested Brougham on Wednesday.
“There was no violence involved,” Krajenka said. “There was a phone call made to the victim, who requested the ex parte order in violation of the order.”
In court documents, Brougham’s wife, Fedora Brougham, said that her husband became increasingly violent after she filed for divorce. She said that he got drunk and threatened to burn their house down.
Read MoreJailed Former Strafford County Jail Chaplain Ralph Flodin Wants 4 Guilty Verdicts Set Aside - Convicted After Sexually Assaulting Inmate
June 1st, 2008
DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Former jail chaplain Ralph Flodin is asking a Superior Court judge to set aside four guilty verdicts following his conviction of sexually assaulting a former jail inmate.
Flodin, 71, was convicted earlier this month of two aggravated felonious sexual assault charges and two misdemeanor sexual assault charges for assaulting an inmate while he was counseling her at Strafford County jail. The verdicts came after a one-week trial.
In the motion, Flodin’s attorney, Stephen Brown, claims the jury rushed to a verdict shortly after they viewed a video-recorded interview two deputy sheriffs conducted with Flodin on May 2, 2007.
The tape was viewed by the jury twice, once during the trial and once during deliberations.
In the interview, Flodin admitted to touching the inmate on multiple occasions and said the two also kissed. Assistant County Attorney Eric Gentes referred to the tape as the “clincher” in the case.
Read MoreState Investigation Finds That There Was After Hours Drinking By Law Enforcement Officers At Dover New Hampshire Station House Bar
June 1st, 2008
DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE — An investigation into after-hours drinking by a group of law enforcement officers at The Station House on Central Avenue has been completed by Liquor Enforcement Chief Eddie Edwards, but details about the incidents remain sparse.
Edwards said he completed a report on his findings but called it an “internal report.” He said he concluded a small group of off-duty law enforcement officers drank at the bar over a 21⁄2-year period but most of the time it was during legal drinking hours.
“We looked two and a half years back and some of the things related to me was that it wasn’t a common practice but it was something that had occurred on occasion for a span of time.” Edwards said. “It wasn’t always after hours, most of it was during legal service hours, but I thought we had to look at it regardless.”
Read MoreDisgraced Cross-Dressing Federal Bankruptcy Judge Robert Somma Will Remain Resigned After Drunken Wreck Leaving Gay Bar - Arrested For Drunk Driving In Cocktail Dress, Fishnet Stockings, Purse, High Heels (With Purse)
June 1st, 2008
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE – The cross-dressing judge will no longer wear a robe.
Robert Somma, the federal bankruptcy judge caught drunk driving in the Queen City, was reconsidering the resignation he tendered after he was arrested in a cocktail dress, fishnet stockings and high heels in February.
But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit announced yesterday that Somma “is leaving to pursue other endeavors.”
It was described as a mutual agreement. “The court appreciates the service that Judge Somma has rendered,” the two-sentence statement concluded.
Deputy Circuit Executive Susan Goldberg said last night she did not have anything to add to the announcement. She said she did not know where Somma is going, or what endeavors he would be pursuing.
Somma, of Newbury, Mass., resigned after being arrested Feb. 6 for crashing his Mercedes-Benz E320 into the back of a truck stopped at a red light on Elm Street. No injuries were reported.
Read MoreFormer Chief Forensic Investigator Kathrine Wieder For New Hampshire Medical Examiner May Accept Plea Deal
June 1st, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - The former chief forensic investigator for the state medical examiner says she probably will accept a plea deal to resolve the nearly 40 felony charges she faces.
Kathrine Wieder, 53, is accused of failing to inspect bodies before they were cremated and improperly accepting fees for the work. She was arrested in 2005 but the case has been delayed by her claims that she is incompetent to stand trial because she is too sick to care for herself or make her own decisions.
On Friday, lawyers in the case said a hearing to decide Wieder’s competency will be postponed from June to July. But Wieder said she believes the case will be resolved by a plea bargain, not a competency hearing or trail. Prosecutors would not comment on any negotiations, but Wieder said she has been offered a deal that involves home confinement and significant fines in exchange for a guilty plea.
Read MoreFormer New Hampshire DARE Treasurer, Police Sgt. Barbara Mack-Kenney Pleads Guilty To Theft
May 31st, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A former police sergeant has pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from a police organization and has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Barbara Mack-Kenney of Woodstock, pleaded guilty in Grafton County Superior Court to two counts of theft. She’s the former treasurer of the New Hampshire DARE Officers Association, an independent organization of police officers who assist in the training of DARE officers throughout the state.
The organization is separate from the New Hampshire DARE program. The NHDOA funds are not state funds.
Mack-Kenney was sentenced Friday to a year, with six months suspended on the first charged. She was given a suspended one-to-three-year sentence on the second charge.
Mack-Keeney also paid almost $15,000 in restitution, and agreed to be decertified as a law enforcement officer. Appeared Here
Two Lying New Hampshire State Prison Guards Still Working And Unpunished After Fired Guards Collect Nearly $2 Million In Court For Wrongful Termination
May 25th, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Two state prison guards, who filed suit against the state Department of Corrections for wrongful termination, won verdicts yesterday totalling nearly $2 million for pain and suffering.
Timothy Hallam and Joseph Laramie, who were awarded $1.3 million and $650,000, respectively, were fired from their jobs at the state prison in July 2005 after they were accused by two fellow guards, Shawn Stone and Todd Connor, of hitting an inmate.
After the April 12, 2005, assault incident, the inmate in question identified Stone and Connor as the guards who punched him during a move from his cell.
All four guards were present at the time of the assault.
However, Connor and Stone denied the allegations and, instead, falsely implicated Hallam and Laramie, who were fired after an internal investigation.
Read MoreMerrimack County New Hampshire Jail Guard Shawn Cunningham Sentenced To A Month In Jail After Attacking Inmate
May 24th, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A Merrimack County jail guard has been sentenced to a month in jail for assaulting an inmate.
The prosecutor said sending 43-year-old Shawn Cunningham of Franklin to jail would send a message to Cunningham and to others who work in jails and prisons who think assaults against inmates will go unpunished.
Judge Michael Sullivan sentenced Cunningham to a year in jail, with all but one month suspended. As long as Cunningham completes an anger management course, stays away from his victim, performs community service and stays out of trouble while in jail, he will likely serve only 20 days.
Former Strafford County New Hampshire Corrections Officer John Teves Convicted In Federal Court With Supplying Drugs To Inmates
May 24th, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – A former Strafford County corrections officer was convicted yesterday of crimes associated with supplying drugs to inmates at the Strafford County House of Correction, federal prosecutors said.
Sanbornville resident John Teves, 31, was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury and ordered jailed pending a Sept. 2 sentencing hearing.
Teves was arrested in July 2005 after meeting with an undercover agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and accepting 100 oxycondone pills. He agreed to deliver the drugs to others, including an inmate at the jail where he worked.
The following May, Teves voluntarily testified before a federal grand jury. The grand jury was investigating allegations that Teves had received an all-terrain vehicle in exchange for providing drugs to an inmate. Teves lied about doing so, prosecutors said.
Read MoreCandia New Hampshire Firefighter Christopher Millspaugh Charged Arson Of $125,000 Logging Machine
May 23rd, 2008
CANDIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Investigators say the young firefighter accused of arson had no prior record before being charged with two felonies for allegedly destroying a $125,000 piece of logging equipment.
After an investigation into the May 14 blaze that destroyed a logging machine, police arrested 21-year-old Christopher Millspaugh, a Flint Road resident, about 3 a.m. yesterday morning.
According to police, officer Kevin Bowen found Millspaugh at the scene of the fire shortly after it was reported.
Officials say he was a member of the Candia Volunteer Fire Department in good standing at the time of his arrest.
Millspaugh had been with the fire department as either a regular member or a Fire Explorer since age 16. One of Millspaugh’s first emergency response experiences took place in October 2003 when he was riding in a school bus to Central High School, and a local resident’s sports-utility vehicle collided head-on with the bus.
Read MoreVeteran Manchester New Hampshire Firefighter Michael Lescatre Receives Less Than A Slap On The Wrist For Stalking After Threatening His Wife’s Boyfriend And Showing Up At His Home With A Gun
May 21st, 2008
Michael Lescatre, 44, of 16 Sarette Road in Goffstown has six months to stay out of trouble with the law. After the probationary period, he will appear in court again for a final review of his behavior.
Londonderry police arrested Lescatre on the night of Wednesday, March 12, as he made his way to the other man’s home on South Road in Londonderry with the alleged intent of harming the man.
Lescatre, a 15-year veteran of the Manchester Fire Department, allegedly called the Londonderry man, identified in a police affidavit as Wayne Macleay, 45, and threatened to “rip his head off” before making the trip to Macleay’s home.
Crazed Portsmouth New Hampshrie District Court Judge Sawako Gardner Sets Man’s Bail At $15,000 For Stealing $2 Bottle Of Beer - Our Tax Dollars At Work In Rockingham County
May 19th, 2008
“I don’t need a lawyer,” Baldwin, 48, with no permanent address, told Judge Sawako Gardner. “I’ve been in this court more than you have.”
Baldwin was arraigned Monday on charges alleging theft and breaching bail. Police say he stole a can of beer from the Islington Street Mobil On The Run store, while Baldwin claimed he was returning to the store to pay for the beer he already drank at the time of his Monday morning arrest.
Prosecutor Corey MacDonald asked the court for high cash bail, while describing Baldwin as “a leech” and citing his criminal history as including 152 arrests, eight trespass notices, 75 citations, four different social security aliases and convictions for thefts, receiving stolen property, arson and criminal mischief.
New Hampshire Tax Dollars Expended As Portsmouth Police Investigate Snoring Man On Toilet
May 17th, 2008
According to the city’s public police log, an emergency dispatcher took a report at 5:56 p.m. from someone at the Parrott Avenue library reporting a man snoring in a men’s room toilet stall and “they could not rouse him.”
A responding officer reported the man had not been drinking, rather “just fell asleep” and he was “on his way.”
Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn said Friday the man is “one of our local transients.” Appeared Here
Merrimack County New Hampshire Aaron Little Arrested, Suspended, Charged With Beating An Inmate - Fourth Employee To Face Criminal Charges In Past Year, One Of Whom Was Just Convicted After Attack On An Inmate
May 16th, 2008
Aaron Little, 28, of Franklin, N.H., is the fourth employee at the jail in Boscawen to face criminal charges in the past year.
Jail Superintendent Ron White said little about the incident, which police said happened in March. He said inmate Roger Gringras refused when asked to go in his cell. Little was part of a team that responded. He said the inmate was hurt when the team used force to try to get him into his cell.
Little is on administrative leave.
Another jail officer, Shawn Cunningham, was convicted this week of two counts of simple assault for shoving an inmate and knocking him to the ground.
Two other corrections officers have been charged with assaulting inmates.
Sexual Assault Trial To Begin For Former Strafford County New Hampshire Jail Chaplain Ralph Flodin - Provided “Special Therapy” For Female Inmates
May 12th, 2008
DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE — The trial of a former county jail chaplain accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate during counseling sessions is scheduled to begin this morning at Strafford County Superior Court.
Ralph Flodin, 70, of 5 Riverside Drive in Alton, faces nine counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, each alleging he fondled a 24-year-old inmate while providing therapy in ways that were not “professionally recognized as ethical or acceptable.”
He also faces two misdemeanor charges of sexual assault.
The trial is expected to last four days, and its witnesses include staff from the Strafford County House of Corrections and several females who were inmates at the jail when Flodin worked there.
Flodin was hired in July 2006 to fill a new chaplain position responsible for coordinating spiritual programs and conducting counseling.
The alleged assaults began a month later and continued through April 2007, prosecutors claim.
Read MoreHooksett New Hampshire Police Officer Benjamin Beauchemin Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Drunken Wreck
May 12th, 2008
HOOKSETT, NEW HAMPSHIRE – A police officer arrested by state police for allegedly driving while intoxicated has been placed on administrative leave with pay, according to Hooksett police.
Officer Benjamin Beauchemin was driving his own vehicle in Auburn early Sunday morning when he was involved in an accident. He was not injured, police said.
Hooksett Police have launched an internal investigation. Beauchemin has been with the department a little over a year.
“Police officers are supposed to be held to a higher standard of conduct,” said Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis.
Hooksett Police referred all other questions to the state police.
Veteran Concord New Hampshire Police Officer Sgt. Steven Smagula Shot Another Officer In What Attorney General Claims Was A Makeshift Training Session
May 11th, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - On the early evening of April 30, two Concord police officers discovered an unlocked door in a bank under construction. Some eight hours later, one of the two took a bullet to his protective vest when a police sergeant accidentally fired his gun while wrapping up a makeshift training session inside the building.
The details of the shooting were disclosed yesterday by New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who determined the shooting was an accident and no crime could be proved against the shooter, veteran Concord police Sgt. Steven Smagula.
“There is no evidence to support a finding that Sgt. Smagula consciously pointed his weapon at any officer or intentionally pulled the trigger,” the report said. “There is ample evidence to support a claim that the shooting was the result of an ‘accident’ and not criminal conduct.”
Read MoreConcord New Hampshire Police Officer Shoots Another Officer At Credit Union
May 6th, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A Concord police officer suffered minor injuries Thursday when a fellow officer’s gun discharged.
The attorney general’s office said four Concord officers were inside the Granite State Credit Union Building on Sheep Davis Road at about 4:30 a.m. when one of the officers’ handguns discharged. Another officer was hit in the chest, but he was wearing a protective vest and suffered minor injuries.
The officer was treated and released from Concord Hospital. No other officers were injured in the incident.
The names of the officers involved have not been released. The attorney general’s office and State Police Major Crime Unit are investigating, which is standard procedure when a police officer fires a weapon.
Former Chelsea Massachusetts Police Officer Sentenced To Just 2 1/2 Years After Attacking His Wife While On Vacation, Breaking Her Arm
April 27th, 2008
OSSIPEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE —A former Massachusetts police officer has been sentenced to prison in New Hampshire after being convicted of breaking his wife’s arm in a fight.
Forty-four-year-old Hector Fernandez of Malden was convicted of breaking his wife’s arm by bending it behind her back while they were vacationing at the Christmas Farm Inn in Jackson two years ago.
The former Chelsea officer was sentenced this week to two-and-a-half to five years on an assault conviction.
The couple now is divorced.
Disgraced Former Salem New Hampshire Police Officers Mark Sambartaro, Rich Oliveri, And Wesley Decker Start PI Business
April 5th, 2008
HAMPSTEAD, NH — As Salem police officers, they worked homicides, drug cases and rapes.
[Submitter: "They committed fraud on the town of Salem, one was fired for forgery, one is known as a big womanizer, and now they investigate cops! Decker used to be a male stripper, Sambo had a rep for beating confessions out of suspects,,,,,All 3 have been caught cheating on their spouses, they should know where to find other cheating spouses!" ]
Now, the retired trio has a private investigation business.
“Rich and I worked together as a team for 10 years,” Mark Sambataro said. “We did every major case that went down.”
Sambataro, a former detective, and his old partner, Rich Oliveri, have teamed up with Wesley Decker to become co-owners of Focal Point Investigations in Hampstead.
Their clients range from criminal defense lawyers to insurance companies. Average people come to them, too, with problems involving theft, missing loved ones and worries about a straying spouse.
Read MoreFired Rockingham County New Hampshire Deputy Sheriff Jay MacKenzie’s $500,000 Jury Award Tossed
April 2nd, 2008
BRENTWOOD, NH – A judge has thrown out a jury verdict that awarded $500,000 to an ex-sheriff’s deputy who was fired by Rockingham County Sheriff Dan Linehan.
Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Kathleen McGuire overturned the December verdict that found Linehan wrongfully terminated former deputy Jay MacKenzie over a scuffle he had with another man while he was off duty.
MacKenzie filed suit over his firing and successfully argued his case during a four-day trial before a Hillsborough County jury.
However, McGuire disagreed with the jury in her order, dated March 27.
MacKenzie’s Concord lawyer, Peter Callaghan, said it’s unusual for a judge to set aside a jury verdict.
“We’re disappointed that the judge would substitute her view for that of the jury,” he said yesterday. “We think that the judge incorrectly construed the evidence and improperly applied the law. Judges are not supposed to overturn jury verdicts.”
Read MorePortsmouth New Hampshire Lose Marijuana Prosecution Case After State Police Crime Lab Is Too Backlogged To Report On Results
April 1st, 2008
PORTSMOUTH, NH — Marc McKenney beat a marijuana possession charge Tuesday when police were unable to prove the “green vegetative matter” found in his possession was actually marijuana.
McKenney, 23, of 7 Ole Gordon Road, Brentwood, was arrested Jan. 27 at 80 Daniel St., where it was alleged he had an unspecified amount of marijuana. According to a financial affidavit to the court, McKenney is employed by Gary’s Beverage on Deer Street.
Prosecutor Steven Kasmar asked the court to continue the case because the state crime lab had not analyzed the alleged marijuana yet, or provided police with a report verifying it as such.
McKenney was represented by public defender Linda Slamon, who told the court her client should not be penalized for the state lab’s backlog, that he was prepared for trial and without evidence that it was marijuana that was seized from him, the case should be dismissed for a lack of prosecution.
Read MoreFormer Veteran Jaffrey New Hampshire Police Lt. Michael J. Prince Arrested, Charged With With Stealing Money From Police Association’s Bank Account
March 28th, 2008
JAFFREY, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A former Jaffrey police lieutenant who spent 16 years on the force has been accused of stealing money that was meant to help local students attend college, feed the needy and assist the families of fallen officers.
[ YES! Its common knowledge that Prince is a worthless lying sack of shit, and now he's finally exposes himself as he crashes and burns... If the truth ever comes out, Prince, disgraced former chief Martin Dunn, and others will have some serious explaining to do, to a federal judge. Two down, one to go... ]
Michael J. Prince, 41, of 18 Libby Court in Jaffrey is charged with one felony count of theft by unauthorized taking. He was arraigned Wednesday at Jaffrey-Peterborough District Court and released from custody after paying $2,000 bail.
Prince is accused of stealing more than $1,600 from the Jaffrey Police Association’s bank account at TD Banknorth in Jaffrey between June and October 2007.
Read MoreSalem New Hampshire Police Officer Lt. William Ganley Receives Promotion And Wins Goodyear Blimp Look-a-Like Contest
March 23rd, 2008
SALEM, NH - Salem police Lt. William Ganley was promoted to second captain.
The position, which had been eliminated by the board of selectmen after previous Town Manager Marcia Leighninger blocked Ganley’s promotion, was reinstated only a couple of weeks before the promotion was given by Dr. Henry LaBranche, Leighninger’s replacement.
Weare New Hampshire Police Drop Bogus Criminal Case That Man Was Planning Attack On Police Officer Sgt. James Carney - Cops Take Knife Innocent Man Kept Under His Mattress For Protection After After Yanking Him Out Of His House And Interrogating Him For Hours - Our Tax Dollars At Work
March 12th, 2008
WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Police won’t pursue a criminal case against a man charged with planning an attack on a Weare police officer.
The man accused of the crime said he’s relieved but denies he was ever involved.
Mark Yphantis, 48, of 186A Concord Stage Road, was arrested on Jan. 27.
Yesterday, Weare police prosecutor Lou Chatel said additional investigation led police to drop the charges at yesterday’s scheduled probable cause hearing.
“As far as being able to go forward with a trial setting with what we have learned, it would have been very difficult,” Chatel said.
He declined to say what new information was uncovered. He did say Yphantis agreed to surrender the 14-inch Bowie knife he told police he kept under his mattress.
Read MoreFormer Nashua New Hampshire Court Baliff Roger Cote To Face Trial For Sexually Attacking A 11 Year Old Boy On Holman Stadium Park Bench
February 18th, 2008
NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE – A former court officer will stand trial this week accused of sexually assaulting a boy on a city park bench two years ago.
Roger Cote, 75, of 32 Kessler Farm Drive, Apt. 496, has been free on $25,000 bail while awaiting trial on felony sexual assault charges in Hillsborough County Superior Court.
His trial is set to start Tuesday, according to court records and one of the lawyers involved in the case.
Cote faces two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, each punishable by up to 10 to 20 years in prison, and a lesser felony assault charge.
Cote’s case is unusual in that he is accused of assaulting an 11-year-old boy whom he just met in the park next to Holman Stadium on Sept. 2, 2005.
Read MoreFired Lyndeborough New Hampshire Police Chief James Basinas Sues Town, Again…
February 16th, 2008
LYNDEBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Former Police Chief James Basinas is suing the town to get his job back, again.
Basinas is claiming his firing in late December was illegal.
The lawsuit, based on a state law that protects police chiefs from political interference and specifies grounds for dismissal, was filed Friday afternoon, hours after officials announced that the town and Basinas had settled their ongoing dispute.
The board of selectmen received the letter Tuesday, according to town administrator Neal Cass.
“Given our history, the board is not surprised that the petition was filed, and the town stands behind the right of the citizens to vote at a special town meeting,” Cass said, referring to the December meeting where voters abolished the chief’s position.
The town agreed Friday to pay Basinas $23,500 in back pay and benefits and reimburse him $30,000 for legal fees, costs assumed by the town’s insurance carrier.
Read MoreCrazed Windham New Hampshire Town Officials Set Up Illegal And Unenforceable Speed Trap
February 11th, 2008
WINDHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Police Chief Gerald Lewis said the 25 mph speed limit on Westchester Road recently set by selectmen is illegal and unenforceable.
Selectmen set the lower-than-normal speed limit on a motion by Selectman Bruce Breton after accepting the street as a town road. The vote was 3-2 in favor.
Both Lewis and fire Chief Tom McPherson, who leads the town’s Highway Safety Committee, said the speed limit won’t hold up in court if it’s ever challenged because the selectmen’s decision needs to be backed up with a traffic study.
Under state law, a residential street is supposed to be posted for 30 mph unless a traffic study determines that a lower or higher speed is warranted, Lewis said.
“It’s not that we oppose a speed limit of 25,” McPherson said, “but there’s a process that should be followed. Otherwise, it could be successfully challenged in court.”
Read MoreLyndeborough New Hampshire Taxpayers Foot Big Bill To Get Rid Of Bad Chief James Basinas
February 10th, 2008
LYNDEBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Three days before a scheduled trial in Hillsborough County Superior Court to determine whether former police Chief James Basinas was fired with cause, the three-person board of selectmen announced that the town had settled the dispute.
[Lets see, George Ayres, Wilton's retired police chief lives in Lyndeborough, one wonders why wasn't appointed until town officials cleaned up the mess... BCN]
“It’s been an unfortunate experience all around, and it’s time to move on,” Selectman Andy Roeper said Friday after the town issued a press release.
Read MoreLawsuit Charges North Hampton New Hampshire Police Officer With Brutally Attacking Man, Bogus Charges, And False Arrest
February 5th, 2008
NORTH HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A local man filed a lawsuit in federal court against an unnamed officer, Police Chief Brian Page and the town.
Ladd C. Carmen, of Walnut Avenue, is alleging the department violated his rights in 2006 when they handcuffed him, threw him against a wood pile and hauled him to the station. He is suing the officers and the town for monetary damages for illegal seizure, unlawful arrest, illegal detention, physical abuse and coercion and intimidation.
The town, through its lawyers, denies the accusations and said the department was acting reasonably when it made the arrest and protected by the Doctrine of Qualified Immunity.
The suit was filed in December in the aftermath of Carmen being taken into custody on July 25, 2006.
According to court documents, local police arrived at his Walnut Avenue residence that day to assist the building inspector in carrying out an order to remove several vehicles from Carmen’s property.
Read MorePortsmouth New Hampshire Police Officer Make Up Bogus Cop Killing Accusation While Arresting Man For Selling Tiny Bags Of Pot
February 5th, 2008
PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A city man who told Portsmouth District Court that police accused him of murdering a police officer was arraigned Monday on two felony drug charges.
Antonio Peppers, 47, of 252 Dennett St., is charged with unlawful sale of a controlled drug and conspiracy to sell a controlled drug. No plea was entered and a Feb. 20 date was set for a probable-cause hearing.
Peppers asked for a court-appointed attorney.
Prosecutor Corey MacDonald said that on July 12, and again on Aug. 15, Peppers sold marijuana to a police informant for $20 and $40.
MacDonald asked for cash bail, saying Peppers has a lengthy record dating back to 1985. His request prompted Peppers to say he had no money and cannot work.
Read MoreMan Arrested, Treated As A Criminal, After State Of New Hampshire Suspended His License And Registration For 75 Cent E-ZPass Toll He’d Already Paid - Botched System Originally Targeted 23,500 Drivers, Which Eventually Dropped To 4,000, And May Only Include 700 Actual Toll Evaders - Our Tax Dollars At Work
January 22nd, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - It was 2 a.m. when Eric Kinkopf, an English teacher at Brewster Academy, was pulled over for speeding Sunday in Chichester. He was driving 61 mph in a 40 mph zone, but that isn’t why the police handcuffed him, towed his car and fingerprinted him at the station.
Kinkopf, 57, of Wolfeboro, was driving with a suspended license and registration. The problem? A 75-cent E-ZPass toll violation that he had already paid.
“I have never felt as humiliated - even though I knew I did nothing wrong - to be handcuffed and put in the backseat of the cruiser,” Kinkopf said yesterday.
Bill Boynton, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said Kinkopf’s license and registration should not have been suspended, since he paid the toll, which was recorded as unpaid when he drove through an E-ZPass lane in August 2007. Kinkopf will be reimbursed for all costs associated with the incident, including $150 for having his car towed and impounded, license and registration reinstatement fees, and the cost of a $40 cab ride from Chichester to his home in Wolfeboro.
Read MoreFormer Veteran Milford New Hampshire Police Chief Steven Sexton Pleads Guilty To Drunk Driving
January 19th, 2008
MILFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Former police chief Steven Sexton admitted to driving drunk at his arraignment in court last week.
Sexton, 53, of 119 Prospect St., Milford, was arrested Jan. 8 and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Police arrived at the Stop & Shop parking lot Jan. 8 after someone reported a suspicious vehicle there, according to Milford Police Chief Fred Douglas.
The officer found Sexton in the vehicle and later determined he had been drinking, Douglas said.
On Monday during his arraignment in Milford District Court, the former police chief pleaded guilty. He was fined $600 and his driver’s license was revoked for nine months.
In addition, he was ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and the Community Alcohol Intervention Program, CAIP.
Read MoreFormer Haverhill Massachusetts Police Officer Mark Garrett Turns Himself In, Charged With Playing Cop In Salem New Hampshire To Get Out Of Expired Registration Ticket
January 17th, 2008
SALEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A former Haverhill police officer accused of using his old badge to get out of a ticket surrendered yesterday.
Mark Garrett, 50, of Plaistow, N.H., walked out of the Salem, N.H., police station with his lawyer after posting $2,000 cash bail.
He was booked on a misdemeanor charge of false personation. Police said Garrett was pulled over for driving an unregistered car on Jan. 9.
Salem police spotted Garrett as he was leaving the parking lot at Salem District Court. As officers turned on their emergency lights, Garrett sped off and turned into a variety store parking lot, police said.
Garrett claimed he was a Haverhill police officer, offering his badge and police identification, police said. But Salem police issued him the ticket anyway.
Read MoreFormer Sandown New Hampshire Police Officer Paul DeCoste Sentenced To A Year In Jail After Drunken Wreck - Of Cource He Will End Up With Home Confinement Instead Of Behind Bars
January 11th, 2008
SANDOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A former town police officer was sentenced to a year in jail for crashing his vehicle while drunk and putting a passenger, his fiancee, in danger of serious bodily injury.
Paul DeCoste, 23, of Plaistow is scheduled to report to Rockingham County Jail on Jan. 18.
He could end up serving some, most or all of the sentence in home confinement, depending on how he meets the jail’s requirements, said prosecutor Jerome Blanchard of the Rockingham County attorney’s office. The sentence was part of a plea agreement.
DeCoste flipped his 1996 Ford Bronco on Route 111A in Danville on Dec. 23, 2006. He and his passenger, Janelle Bean, were injured. Blanchard said they have recovered from their injuries.
The case was investigated by state police.
After the crash, DeCoste spent about a month on paid administrative leave and then resigned from the department, Sandown police Chief Joseph Gordon said.
Read MoreFired Haverhill Massachusetts Police Officer Mark Garrett Charged With Posing As A Police Officer In Salem New Hampshire
January 10th, 2008
SALEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A former Haverhill, Mass., police officer faces charges that he used his badge to try to talk his way out of a ticket for an expired registration on his car.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for Mark Garrett, 50, of West Newbury, Mass., on a misdemeanor charge of false personation. Garrett had not been arrested as of late yesterday.
Police pulled Garrett over yesterday at 10:52 a.m. after an officer spotted him leaving the parking lot of Salem District Court driving an unregistered car. Salem police Officer Mark Nelson followed Garrett and radioed Officer Shane Smith for help.
Garrett sped off and abruptly turned into a variety store parking lot once police turned on emergency lights and turned around to follow him, police said.
Read MoreTwo And A Half Years Of Plea Deals And Costly Legal Battles At At Taxpayer Expense, Unconstitutional New Hampshire Police Sobriety Checkpoint (Roadblock) Hasn’t Resulted In A Single Drunk Driving Conviction
December 24th, 2007
PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Two-and-a-half years ago, Jennifer Dahlen was stopped by a state trooper at a “sobriety checkpoint,” where, according to court records, her eyes were bloodshot, her speech was slurred, she needed help walking, and she responded to a request to take a Breathalyzer test by saying she “had too much to drink.”
A subsequent test showed the Durham resident’s blood alcohol content was 0.13, or 60 percent over the legal limit for intoxication.
In spite of those reports, Dahlen negotiated an Oct. 22 deal in Portsmouth District Court, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of reckless operation and accepting a $500 fine and two-month loss of license.
Dahlen was driving one of 514 vehicles stopped during July 2005 DWI roadblocks conducted in Portsmouth by officers from five police agencies. Eight people were arrested for driving while intoxicated during the checkpoints, held on two consecutive evenings.
Read MoreNew Hampshire State Police Trooper Louis Copponi, President Of State Trooper’s Union, Found To Have Lied And Credibility Questioned In Subsequent Cases - Prosecutors Covered For Him
December 24th, 2007
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – The director of the Division of Motor Vehicles says the president of the state troopers union lied in a case years ago, raising the possibility his testimony in subsequent criminal cases could be challenged.
In sworn testimony in March, Virginia Beecher said Trooper First Class Louis Copponi “was involved in a case and he lied,” a charge Copponi’s lawyer, James Donchess of Nashua, strongly denied.
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