Eric Labarge of Nashua, New Hampshire will serve 46 months in federal prison following a conviction for directing a conspiracy to harass journalists working with New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). In addition to his prison term, Labarge is sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay a $10,000 fine, along with $34,139 in restitution to the victims, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office.
This sentencing comes after Labarge pleaded guilty to charges that involved stalking and intimidating journalists, actions which were retaliatory against reporting on a friend of Labarge who faced allegations of misconduct; Labarge enlisted associates Tucker Cockerline, Michael Waselchuck, and Keenan Saniatan to vandalize and terrorize the homes and families of the journalists, actions which included spray-painting slurs on their properties and throwing bricks through windows, this according to the United States Attorney's Office announcement yesterday.
“Mr. Labarge’s terror campaign sent ripples of fear throughout the journalism community and violated the bedrock principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights,” United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy stated, emphasizing the seriousness of threats to freedom of the press. Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, also highlighted the consequences of infringing on the constitutional rights of journalists, warning those who attempt to silence the media through threats and violence about the repercussions they could face, as per the United States Attorney's Office.
Labarge's co-conspirators, Cockerline and Waselchuck, have already faced justice, receiving prison sentences of 27 months and 21 months respectively; both are mandated three years of supervised release following their sentences, and Saniatan, who has pleaded guilty is expected to be sentenced next Friday, illustrating the breadth of legal consequences for those involved in the intimidation campaign and the stain such incidents leave on the fabric of free press communities. Assistance from police departments in Concord, Hampstead, and Hanover, in New Hampshire, and Melrose, Massachusetts, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire contributed to the success of this case according to the announcement.
