Three New Hampshire men have been charged by federal prosecutors with a conspiracy to "harass and intimidate" two New Hampshire Public Radio journalists in response to a story they published.
Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, were each charged with conspiring to commit stalking through interstate travel, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Cockerline and Waselchuck were arrested Friday morning and detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 20. Saniatan remains at large.
The alleged harassment and intimidation included five separate incidents of vandalism of the victims' homes and the vandalism of the home of one of the victims' immediate family members with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.
According to federal prosecutors, after a year-long investigation, a New Hampshire Public Radio journalist published an article in March of 2022 on NHPR's website detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, who is only named as "Subject 1" in the charging documents. Another NHPR journalist contributed to the article.
“The critical role that the press plays in our society goes back to the founding of our nation. Today’s charges should send a clear message that the Department of Justice will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of journalists. If you engage in this type of vicious and vindictive behavior you will be held accountable,” acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement.
“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,” added Christopher DiMenna, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Field Division. “Everyone has a right to express their opinion, but taking it over the line and committing vandalism will not be tolerated."
Prosecutors allege that Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan "conspired with each other and with at least one other individual" -- a close personal associate of the subject of the NHPR story -- to retaliate against NHPR and the two victims by vandalizing their homes with bricks and large rocks and spray painting lewd, threatening messages on the homes' exteriors.
Court documents show that the alleged acts of vandalism occurred on the following dates and times at the following locations:
- On April 24, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., a brick was thrown through a front exterior window of the first victim's former residence in Hanover, New Hampshire. A lewd word was spray painted in large red letters on the front door.
- On April 24, 2022, or during the early morning hours of April 25, 2022, the same lewd word was spray painted in large red letters on the front door of the second victim's home in Concord, New Hampshire. The exterior of the home was also damaged by a large rock, which appeared to have been thrown at the house.
- On April 24, 2022, shortly before midnight or during the early morning hours of April 25, 2022, a softball-sized rock was thrown through a front exterior window of the first victim's parents' home in Hampstead, New Hampshire. The same lewd word was spray painted in large red letters on one of the garage doors.
- On May 21, 2022, around 12:54 a.m., the first victim's home in Hampstead was vandalized a second time. The same word was spray painted in large red letters on one of the garage doors. No windows were broken, but a brick was found on the ground near the house's foundation as if it had been thrown at the house.
- On May 21, 2022, around 5:54 a.m., a brick was thrown through an exterior window of the first victim's house in Melrose, Massachusetts. The phrase "JUST THE BEGINNING" was spray painted in large red letters on the front of the home.
The charging documents allege that Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan are responsible for all five incidents. The conspiracy charges carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and fines as high as $250,000.
Jim Schachter, president and chief executive officer of NHPR, issued a statement following the announcement of Friday's arrests.
"Everyone at NHPR is grateful for law enforcement’s persistence in investigating these attacks, and we trust that the justice system will hold the perpetrators accountable," he said. "We are appreciative, too, for the support that our neighbors, audience members, and colleagues have demonstrated over the last year, as we’ve been working in the shadow of these attacks. 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. That’s true for NHPR’s staff, and for journalists everywhere."
The Middlesex District Attorney's Office had also been involved in an investigation into the Melrose, Massachusetts, incident back in May of 2022. Their office released Ring surveillance footage of the suspect, showing him throwing the brick through the window.
"This is clearly not a random act. This was a targeted event," since-retired Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle said at a press conference in 2022.
"The police are looking at the recent work of the woman who lives in the home," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. "It just brings it to another dimension in your life. It isn't just, 'I'm worried about my property,' but actually 'Am I going to be affected in doing what my work is because I'm worried about my own family and my own home.'"
"If it is either in retaliation for some work that she has done, or intimidation around work she may be contemplating, that obviously involves some First Amendment concerns and is much more disturbing," she added
NBC10 Boston reached out to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office on Friday, but a spokesperson said they would not be issuing any comment as it is an open federal case.
