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Former sheriff Mark Brave indicted on additional felony and misdemeanor charges – The Boston Globe

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Former sheriff Mark Brave indicted on additional felony and misdemeanor charges – The Boston Globe


A former sheriff of Strafford County, N.H., already facing felony charges for his alleged misuse of public funds and botched cover-up has been slapped with new criminal charges as prosecutors turn up the pressure amid stalled plea negotiations.

Mark A. Brave, 39, resigned late last year and was indicted on eight felony counts of theft, falsifying physical evidence, and perjury. The original indictment accused him of spending $19,000 on personal travel and meet-ups with romantic partners, filing false documents for reimbursement, and lying to a grand jury.

The new indictment, returned by a grand jury in Rockingham County, adds two more felony counts of perjury, two misdemeanor counts of false swearing, and one misdemeanor count of unsworn falsification, the New Hampshire Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

While this five-count indictment is new, its allegations date back to October 2023 when Brave told the court he was residing with his soon-to-be ex-wife in Dover, N.H. Prosecutors said in November he was actually living in Tewksbury, Mass., in violation of his bail conditions and the residency requirement for his job as sheriff. (He now has the court’s permission to live out of state while awaiting trial.)

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The perjury charges are based on allegations that Brave gave the court a false residential address while under oath and made false statements on the form he filled out to request a court-appointed attorney, according to court records.

Brave said last fall that he couldn’t afford to hire his own attorney, so a judge briefly appointed one for him. But prosecutors said they learned Brave had paid more than $53,000 up front for a 12-month lease shortly before asking for a lawyer at taxpayer expense. Brave then had to hire his own defense attorney.

Brave and his attorney, Leif A. Becker, negotiated with prosecutors unsuccessfully over a possible plea deal. It’s unclear what the terms of any potential deal might entail. Details from a private mediation process with a retired judge are sealed. One thing is clear: No deal was reached.

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Becker said in a text message Wednesday the new charges are not a surprise.

”That being said we are still hopeful that this case resolves without the need for a trial at the taxpayers expense,” he said, noting the parties have tentatively picked trial dates for early next year.

Prosecutors gave signs they could pursue this additional indictment. Assistant Attorney General Joe M. Fincham II told the judge in open court last month that more charges were possible.

An arraignment on the new charges is slated for Nov. 27, according to court records.

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Mark A. Brave, a former sheriff of Strafford County, N.H. glances at his defense attorney, Leif A. Becker, in Rockingham County Superior Court on March 26, 2024.Deb Cram

The perjury charges in the original indictment allege Brave lied about several situations in 2022 and 2023, including trips he took to Florida, Maryland, and Boston.

Brave initially said a male deputy had joined him on the trip to Florida, but investigators determined a female employee had traveled with him and shared a hotel room, according to court records.

Brave told the Globe their trip to Fort Lauderdale was for “work-related research” for a new job title he planned to create. By his own account, however, the research was haphazard and cost-ineffective.

For the Maryland trip, Brave is accused of lying about a meeting he supposedly scheduled with Representative Chris Pappas, a Manchester Democrat. Brave said the meeting was canceled at the last minute, but the congressman’s office said it had no record of any meeting ever being on the calendar, according to court records. Prosecutors allege Brave actually met up with a paramour on that trip.

For the Boston trip, Brave claimed he had purchased two dinner cruise tickets for himself and the same male deputy who had supposedly joined him in Florida, but investigators concluded he celebrated the birthday of a romantic interest who then stayed at a hotel with him.

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When the allegations first became public, Brave resisted calls to step aside, but he placed himself on paid administrative leave after fellow officials gave him an ultimatum to do so or be ousted.

The most serious charge in the indictment, theft by deception, is a Class A felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The other felony charges are Class B felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Brave’s dishonesty has gotten him into trouble unrelated to his pending criminal prosecution.

An investigation by The Boston Globe revealed in September 2023 that Brave had exaggerated the length of his law enforcement experience and falsely claimed to hold two college degrees when he had none. He insisted at the time that he hadn’t intended to deceive anyone.

An investigation commissioned by Strafford County officials found reason to question Brave’s candor concerning the circumstances of his wife’s drunken driving arrest in December 2022. Some officials said he led them to believe he was at home when, in fact, he was by her side and too drunk to drive himself home.

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Brave, a Democrat who was elected the first Black sheriff in New Hampshire history in 2020, has maintained his innocence, contending that state and county officials have carried out a racist and politically motivated plot against him.

Fellow Democrats dispute that claim.

George M. Maglaras, who chairs Strafford County’s three-member board of commissioners, said he had previously supported Brave’s candidacy, and the allegations have nothing to do with his race.

“He fooled a lot of people, including myself,” Maglaras said.

Brave’s successor, Joseph T. McGivern, who had served as his chief deputy, stepped in as acting sheriff then was appointed sheriff in March. McGivern will hold that title until his 70th birthday on Oct. 24, when he will become constitutionally ineligible because of his age.

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Voters will pick McGivern’s successor, either Democrat Kathryn Mone or Republican Scott Tingle, in the Nov. 5 election.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





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New Hampshire

N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe

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N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe


One proposal (Senate Bill 627) would generate more than $53 million per year in estimated revenue for turnpike projects by essentially doubling what certain cars pay on the state’s toll roads.

The cash fare for Hampton’s main toll booth on Interstate 95, for example, would jump from $2 to $4 for cars and pickup trucks. The toll wouldn’t increase at all for motorists who use New Hampshire’s E-ZPass transponders.

“Surrounding states already have the same in-state discount structure in place,” Democratic Representative Martin Jack of Nashua wrote on behalf of a House committee that unanimously recommended the bill.

A potential hitch: Governor Kelly Ayotte. She’s expressed opposition to the whole toll-hiking idea, and proven she’s not afraid to use her veto pen.

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Modifying civil rights standard

Another proposal (Senate Bill 464) would add a few words to the state’s Civil Rights Act. Instead of addressing conduct that is merely “motivated by” a legally protected characteristic, the proposed revision would address conduct that is “substantially motivated by hostility towards the victim’s” protected characteristic (such as their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability).

The prime sponsor, Republican Senator Daryl Abbas, an attorney, testified the change was small and aligned with the law’s intent. But the attorney who oversees the Civil Rights Unit at the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Sean Locke, testified in opposition, saying the proposal could reduce protections, especially since the meaning of “substantially” is somewhat vague.

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The House is also weighing a proposed amendment that would add a few more words than Abbas’s version, potentially narrowing the Civil Rights Act’s applicability a bit further.

Open enrollment for K-12 schools

A third proposal up for a vote on Thursday (Senate Bill 101) would make every K-12 public school in New Hampshire an “open enrollment” school. That way, students could freely choose to transfer to a district other than the one where they live.

The proposed policy is controversial, partly because of how schools are funded. Districts rely mostly on local property taxes to cover their costs, as the state government chips in relatively little, and property tax rates vary widely from one community to the next. That generates concern about who will foot the bill when a student transfers.

In light of those concerns, Republicans are offering a compromise amendment to SB 101 that would require the state to provide more money per pupil that a district receives via open enrollment, as the New Hampshire Bulletin reported. Democrats are offering their own amendment to establish a study commission on this topic, rather than adopt the proposed policy now.

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Lawmakers have until May 14 to take action on the bills that came from the other chamber, though they have until June 4 to iron out any discrepancies.

Amanda Gokee of the Globe staff contributed to this report.


This story appears in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free email newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. Sign up here.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





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New Hampshire

Boston MedFlight expands into NH

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Boston MedFlight expands into NH


Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.

The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.

Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.

“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”

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Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.

“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.

Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.

Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.

“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”

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Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.

“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.

Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.

“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.

It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.

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“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”

Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.



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New Hampshire

Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains

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Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains


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A Massachusetts hiker who set out in warm spring weather was found dead deep in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after a snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the area, authorities said.

Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, was discovered Tuesday evening on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Franconia Notch, about 5.5 miles from his vehicle, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Wood had driven to Franconia Notch on April 17 for a weekend camping and hiking trip, and set out on a hike the next morning in warm, clear weather, officials said. Family and friends last heard from him Saturday afternoon.

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When he failed to return or make contact for two days, officials said relatives reported him missing Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search.

HIKER IDENTIFIED, POPULAR TRAIL CLOSED AFTER DEADLY FALL A UTAH’S ZION NATIONAL PARK

An aerial view of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, where a hiker was found dead on Tuesday. (Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group, File)

Rescuers quickly learned Wood had packed for mild conditions, not the three to five inches of snow that fell in the area between Sunday and Monday.

Fog hovers over a narrow road through Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 2021. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)

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Search teams from Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard launched a coordinated effort, focusing on the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond areas.

FAMILY’S SPRING BREAK HIKE TURNS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH RESCUE AFTER PARENT FALLS 70 FEET OFF UTAH CLIFF

Conservation officers located Wood’s body around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday. Crews carried him out overnight, reaching the trailhead shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail are seen in New Hampshire on Sept. 21. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

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Since Friday, six hikers from Massachusetts have been rescued in the White Mountains, Fish and Game said.

Officials are reminding hikers that winter conditions still grip the mountains, with snow, freezing temperatures and rapidly changing weather.



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