New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking Journalists

BOSTON - A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism - on five separate occasions - of the victims' homes and the home of one of the victims' parents with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.

Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking using a facility of interstate commerce and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2024. Saniatan was initially charged in June 2023 along with co-conspirators Tucker Cockerline and Michael Waselchuck. In September 2024, Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchick along with Eric Labarge were indicted by a federal grand jury.

In March 2022, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR's website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge - who is a close personal associate of Subject 1 - Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchuck agreed to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members.

According to the indictment, on or about April 22, 2022, at Labarge's request, Saniatan agreed to vandalize Victim 2's home in Concord, N.H. and Victim 1's parents' home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. On the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan spraypainted the word "C*NT" in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2's home. He also threw a softball-sized rock through an exterior window and spraypainted the word "C*NT" in large red letters on the front of Victim 1's parents' home. Separately, and at Labarge's request, Cockerline and Waselchuck vandalized Victim 1's home, a home where Victim 1 used to reside, and Victim 1's parents' home using bricks and red spray paint during three separate incidents in April and May 2022.

Labarge and Waselchuck have both pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Cockerline also pleaded guilty and, in August 2024, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Each charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine 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.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.