3 men charged in case media attacks are brought to the attention
Federal prosecutors in Boston on Friday released criminal charges against three men accused of vandalizing the homes of reporters in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in retaliation for an investigation into a local businessman.
The charges stem from a series of incidents last spring after New Hampshire Public Radio reported a statement about allegations of sexual misconduct to Eric Spofford, who until recently owned the largest network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in the state. Mr Spofford later sued the news organization for libel.
Mr Spofford was not named in the indictment. But one person repeatedly named by prosecutors as “Subject 1” is Mr Spofford, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The complaint stated that a “close personal associate” of Subject 1 “asked” the three men to attack the houses.
Lauren Cooljian, a senior reporter at the radio station, had a window smashed and her house was covered in graffiti. Her editor, Daniel Barrick, was the target. The home of Mrs. Cooljian was vandalized twice a month.
The attacks represented an unusually intense assault on a small news organization. Coupled with legal threats against the journalists and their sources by Mr Spofford, the incidents appeared to be part of a wider pattern of politicians and wealthy individuals taking increasingly extreme measures to punish journalists for negative reporting.
Last year, the American Press Freedom Tracker identified 41 journalists who were physically assaulted. In one case, a Nevada politician was charged with the murder of a reporter who was investigating him.
“Today’s charges should be a clear signal that the Justice Department will not tolerate harassment or harassment of journalists,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy. in a statement on Friday. “If you engage in this kind of mean and vengeful behavior, you will be held accountable.”
US prosecutors charged the men — Tucker Cockerline, Keenan Saniatan and Michael Waselchuck — with conspiracy to commit interstate stalking. Mr. Cockerline and Mr. Waselchuck were arrested Friday morning; Mr Saniatan remained at large, prosecutors said. The charges carry a prison sentence of up to five years.
The person charged with instigating the attacks, identified in the complaint as “subject 2,” is a New Hampshire resident who had regular telephone contact with subject 1, prosecutors said.
Mr Spofford and his lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. The complaint does not state whether Mr Spofford was aware of the vandalism.
Mr Spofford has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct and said he had nothing to do with the vandalism of the homes, which took place in April and May 2022. In a statement last year, he said he had many supporters and speculated that “ perhaps one of them felt compelled to perform these acts in a misguided attempt to defend me.”
Published after New Hampshire Public Radio his research Spofford attacked Mr. Spofford last spring, Mr. Spofford repeatedly threatened the news organization and some of its sources with lawsuits. The homes of Ms Chooljian and her parents were vandalized less than two days ago after the NHPR rejected a request from Mr Spofford to retract the article.
Mr Spofford sued NHPR and others in September. A state judge dismissed the case, but said Mr. Spofford could file an amended lawsuit, which he says he plans to do.
The indictment stated that the FBI obtained telephone and other records showing that the accused men collaborated with Subject 2 around the time of each attack. Location data from their cell phones matched the times and locations of the vandalism.
The man who attacked Mrs. Chooljian’s house in Melrose, Massachusetts — threw a rock through a window and yelled “JUST THE BEGINNING!” in red – was captured on a doorbell camera, wearing a blue raincoat and a backpack.
The complaint included an image of Mr. Waselchuck from a month earlier wearing the same raincoat and backpack. Mr. Waselchuck’s phone records also indicated that he was near Ms. Choooljian’s home at the time of the attack.
Lawyers for Mr. Cockerline and Mr. Waselchuck declined to comment. Mr. Saniatan was not immediately available on Friday.
“We are confident that the justice system will hold the perpetrators accountable,” said Jim Schachter, the CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio. “Journalists doing their job – reporting unbiased in the public interest – should not have to worry about threats of violence or attacks against their homes and their families.”
A spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.
Kirsten Noyes contributed research.