A New Hampshire man has admitted to his involvement in a malicious campaign to terrorize journalists in retaliation for their investigative work. Michael Waselchuck, a 36-year-old from Seabrook, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit stalking, which included intimidating actions across state lines using means of interstate commerce, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Waselchuck and his co-conspirators, Tucker Cockerline and Keenan Saniatan, began their campaign of harassment following a March 2022 article by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) that exposed sexual misconduct allegations against a former local businessperson. Cockerline had previously entered a guilty plea in December 2023. The indictment claimed that Eric Labarge, a close associate of the accused businessperson, enlisted the others in enacting retribution against the journalists and their families. A federal district judge will determine the sentencing for these crimes, with each charge carrying a potential five years behind bars, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution.
The specific acts of aggression included vandalism using rocks and red spray paint. Targets of the group's animosity faced defamatory words and property damage at both their own homes and those of their parents. The federal indictment recounted disturbing incidents where the perpetrators spray-painted "C*NT" on a front door and threw a brick through a window. Documents highlighted further threats, culminating in a taunting message, "JUST THE BEGINNING," painted brazenly on the façade of one victim's home.
Assistance from local police departments in Concord, Hampstead, and Hanover in New Hampshire, as well as the Melrose Police Department in Massachusetts, proved crucial in the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI's Boston Field Division announced the developments. The accused await their sentencing, which is scheduled for May 10, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. Despite these charges, the rest of the defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
