Three NH males charged with conspiring to harass, intimidate two journalists

Native Information

The suspects are accused of vandalizing the houses of NHPR journalists by hurling rocks and bricks and spray-painting a vulgar phrase and a menace.

Three New Hampshire males are going through prices associated to the harassment and intimidation of two journalists who investigated stories of alleged sexual misconduct, in response to officers.

The houses of the New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) journalists have been vandalized when assailants threw rocks and bricks at their homes and the house of one of many sufferer’s relations, in response to the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace. The suspects additionally wrote vulgar phrases and a threatening message in spray paint on the houses.

Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H., Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H., and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H., have been every charged by felony criticism with conspiring to commit stalking via interstate journey. Cockerline and Waselchuck have been arrested Friday morning and appeared in Boston federal courtroom that afternoon. Each have been detained pending a listening to scheduled for June 20. Prosecutors stated as of Friday, Saniatan remained at massive.

Prosecutors stated the harassment started within the spring of 2022, shortly after the journalists, who weren’t named within the assertion, reported on alleged sexual misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, who was additionally not recognized.

In line with earlier reporting, the journalists are reporter Lauren Chooljian and her editor Daniel Barrick. The enterprise individual is Eric Spofford, the founder and former proprietor of Granite Restoration Facilities, New Hampshire’s largest community of dependancy rehabilitation facilities. Spofford has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct and has stated he had nothing to do with the vandalism. He has filed a libel lawsuit towards the journalists, NHPR, and others.

In line with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, Cockerline, Waselchuck, and Saniatan conspired with one another and with a minimum of one different particular person—who was allegedly an in depth affiliate of the businessperson—to retaliate towards NHPR and the 2 journalists by vandalizing their houses. That particular person was additionally not named within the assertion.

Investigators stated that on April 24, 2022, somebody threw a brick via the entrance window of one of many sufferer’s former houses in Hanover, N.H. A vulgar phrase was spray-painted in massive purple letters on the entrance door, in response to officers. Later that evening, comparable assaults occurred on the house of the second journalist, in addition to the house of certainly one of their mother and father, in response to the assertion.

The alleged harassment resumed round 1 a.m. on Might 21, in response to prosecutors, when one other act of vandalism occurred on the house of one of many journalist’s mother and father. In that incident, officers stated the identical vulgar phrase was spray painted in massive purple letters on one of many storage doorways, and a brick was discovered on the bottom close to the home. Hours later, simply earlier than 6 a.m., somebody threw a brick via the window of the Melrose, Mass., house of one of many journalists, in response to authorities. The assailant additionally spray-painted in massive purple letters on the entrance of the home, “JUST THE BEGINNING.”

Prosecutors stated Cockerline, Saniatan, and Waselchuck are liable for committing all 5 acts of vandalism. If discovered responsible, the lads face a sentence of as much as 5 years in jail, three years of supervised launch, a effective of as much as $250,000, and restitution. 

“Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any wholesome democracy and these three males are actually accused of infringing on that freedom by conspiring to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire journalists who have been merely doing their jobs,” stated Christopher DiMenna, Appearing Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Discipline Division. “Everybody has a proper to precise their opinion, however taking it over the road and committing vandalism won’t be tolerated.”