BOSTON — Three New Hampshire men have been charged with conspiring to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire Public Radio journalists in response to a story they had published.
Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H., Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H. and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H. were each charged with conspiring to commit stalking through interstate travel, according to federal prosecutors.
“Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy and these three men are now accused of infringing on that freedom by conspiring to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire journalists who were simply doing their jobs,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division. “Everyone has a right to express their opinion, but taking it over the line and committing vandalism will not be tolerated.”
According to the charging document, a New Hampshire Public Radio journalist published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson.
Another NHPR journalist also contributed to the article which was published on the website during and after March 2022.
After a year-long investigation, it is alleged that Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan conspired with each other and with at least one other individual who is allegedly a close associate to the former businessperson, identified in the charging documents as Subject 1, to retaliate against the journalists for their article.
According to the prosecutors, the suspects vandalized the victims’ homes with bricks and large rocks, as well as spray-painted lewd and threatening language on the outside of their homes.’
It is alleged that the following acts of vandalism occurred in April and May 2022:
• On April 24, 2022, around 11:00 p.m. a brick was thrown through a front window of one of the journalist’s (Victim 1) homes in Hanover, N.H., as well as the word “C*NT” spray-painted in large red letters on the front door.
• On April 25, 2022, in the early morning hours the word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on the front door of the second journalist’s home in Concord, N.H., as well as damaging the outside of the home by throwing large rocks at it.
• That same day, a softball-sized rock was thrown through a front window of Victim 1′s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., as well as the word “C*NT” spray-painted in large red letters on a garage door.
• On May 21, 2022, Victim 1′s parents’ home in Hampstead was vandalized a second time. The word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on a garage door. Although no windows were broken, a brick was found on the ground outside the home as if it had been thrown at the house.
• On that same day, a brick was thrown through a window of Victim 1′s house in Melrose, Mass., as well as the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” spray-painted in large red letters on the front of the home.
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The charging documents allege that Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck are responsible for committing all five of these vandalisms, according to prosecutors.
Cockerline and Waselchuck were arrested Friday morning and detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 20. Authorities are still searching for Saniatan.
Jim Schacter, president and CEO of NHPR, said in an email that everyone at the station is grateful for law enforcement’s persistence and trusts that the perpetrators will be held accountable.
“Journalists doing their jobs — reporting open-mindedly in the public interest - should not have to worry about threats of violence or attacks on their homes and their families,” he said. “That’s true for NHPR’s staff, and for journalists everywhere.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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