Three NH men charged with conspiracy to harass and threaten NHPR journalists

Jun. 17—Three New Hampshire men have been charged in connection with a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire Public Radio journalists — incidents that allegedly involved repeated threats and vandalism to their homes over a year ago.

Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, were each charged in Massachusetts with conspiring to commit stalking through interstate travel, according to a news release from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. Cockerline and Waselchuck were arrested Friday morning and, after an appearance in federal court in Boston on Friday, were detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 20. Saniatan remains at large.

The alleged harassment and vandalism of the victims' homes and the home of one of the victim's immediate family members involved thrown bricks and large rocks and lewd and threatening language spray painted on garage doors, according to court documents. The incidents occurred on five separate occasions in April and May 2022.

Last spring, after a year-long investigation, NHPR's Lauren Chooljian reported on allegations of sexual misconduct by Eric Spofford, founder of an extensive network of addiction rehabilitation centers in New Hampshire. According to a report in the New York Times, Chooljian's house in Massachusetts was attacked less than two days after NHPR refused to take down Chooljian's article, which appeared during and after March 2022. Spofford sued NHPR and Chooljian for libel. The defamation suit has yet to be resolved in court. Spofford has denied any connection to the vandalism incidents.

"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," Jim Schecter, president and CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio, stated by email on Friday.

"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."

Schecter said it's been over a year since any harm has been directed at NHPR staff, but the media organization is still facing a defamation lawsuit.

According to allegations in the charging document, the following incidents occurred in in April and May 2022:

On April 24, a brick was thrown through a front window of a victim's former home in Hanover. The word "c---" was spray-painted in large red letters on the front door.

Between the evening of April 24 and the morning of April 25, the word "c---" was spray-painted in large red letters on the front door of the second victim's home in Concord. The house was damaged by a large rock that appeared to have been thrown.

During the same time period, a softball-sized rock was thrown through the front window of the primary victim's parents' home in Hampstead. The word "c---" was spray-painted in large red letters on a garage door.

In May, the victim's parents' home was vandalized again. The same word was spray-painted on the garage door, and a brick was discovered near the home's foundation as if it had been thrown at the house.

On May 21, a brick was thrown through an exterior window of the primary victim's house in Melrose, Mass. "JUST THE BEGINNING" was spray-painted in large letters on the home.

The court documents allege that Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck committed all five of the vandalism incidents.

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, according to the U.S. Attorney General for Massachusetts.

Concord, Hampstead and Hanover police, the Melrose, Mass., police, and the U.S. Attorney's office for New Hampshire assisted in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted in Boston.

One of the incidents was captured on the homeowner's Ring doorbell camera.