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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

Charlevoix County farm arson suspect arrested in New Hampshire after January blaze

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Charlevoix County farm arson suspect arrested in New Hampshire after January blaze


CHARLEVOIX COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — A Northern Michigan man accused of torching a Charlevoix County farm is now behind bars in New Hampshire.

Investigators said 23-year-old Daniel Fournier is linked to a January fire that caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.

Authorities tracked him to Merrimack, where he was arrested during a traffic stop while allegedly carrying a loaded pistol.

A search of his apartment turned up more firearms, suspected incendiary devices and evidence investigators say ties him to the Michigan arson.

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Fournier is fighting extradition and remains jailed pending another court hearing.



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New Hampshire

Masked men with baseball bats terrorize 12-year-old during NH home invasion

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Masked men with baseball bats terrorize 12-year-old during NH home invasion


Two people are facing charges after they allegedly broke into a New Hampshire home on Tuesday wearing black masks and armed with baseball bats, all while a 12-year-old was inside.

Danville police said they received a call around 9 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a home invasion on Beatrice Street. A 12-year-old was home alone on a video chat with his friend when three people wearing black masks and armed with baseball bats broke through his front door. The 12-year-old’s friend quickly called 911.

According to police, the three people were attempting to locate the child’s father and threatened the father with serious bodily injury.

An officer soon arrived at the scene, set a perimeter, and called in two K9 units.

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A search of the area didn’t initially turn up anything, but a K9 track led officers to another nearby home. Police interviewed the resident of the mobile home, identified as Nathan Wilder, who denied any involvement in the home invasion.

As the investigation continued, police learned that the original caller had heard from some other friends that one of the suspects in the home invasion had bragged about being involved. They determined that Nathan Wilder, John Wilder and a juvenile were the three people who had broken into the home.

John Wilder admitted to police that he had broken into the home on Beatrice Street and said that Nathan Wilder and a juvenile had assisted him.

Police were able to locate and seized three baseball bats, two ski masks and a few articles of clothing used in the crime.

John and Nathan Wilder were arrested and the juvenile who was involved was released to a parent.

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John Wilder is charged with burglary with a weapon, criminal threat with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. Nathan Wilder is charged with with burglary with a weapon and criminal threat with a deadly weapon. Both men are currently being held at the Rockingham County Jail awaiting arraignment.



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Former NH legislator sentenced to decades behind bars for exploitation of toddlers

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Former NH legislator sentenced to decades behind bars for exploitation of toddlers


A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison for involvement in a child exploitation case — almost double the mandatory minimum.

Stacie Marie Laughton, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children after soliciting and receiving nude photos of three toddlers from an ex-girlfriend who worked at a daycare.

Lindsay Groves, 41, of Hudson, N.H., was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to the same charges as well as an additional count of distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents, Groves took the photos of the victims in 2023 at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsboro, where she was a teacher, during designated bathroom breaks and nap times.

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She then sent the photos to Laughton, who requested the images and asked that Grove touch one of the minor’s genitals. In the conversation included in the records, the pair sexualizes the victims.

“Did the girl give you an issue,” Laughton texted after receiving the photos.

“No… the boy didn’t either,” Groves texted back.

In a sentencing memorandum, Laughton’s counsel had argued that she should receive a shorter sentence than Groves and asked for the minimum mandatory sentence, which would have 15 years for each count to be served concurrently.

“Stacie Laughton is a complex 42-year-old woman,” the memo said, noting that she was the first openly transgender woman to be elected to the New Hampshire legislature.

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The filing described Laughton’s history of mental health, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma as mitigating factors the judge should consider.

“One of the few consistencies in Ms. Laughton’s life is her challenges with mental health illnesses,” the memo said. “She began receiving mental health treatment at the age of four and has been in and out of extensive treatment programs ever since.”

The death of Laughton’s wife in 2020 and a tumultuous relationship with Groves also added to her mental health struggles, the memo said, stating that the defendant drank every day and had tried heroin for the first time leading up to her arrest.

A doctor quoted in the filing said that Laughton likely had a low IQ, tied in part to her premature birth, as well as “normal sexual interests.”

“This finding shows both how caught up Ms. Laughton was in her relationship with Groves that she participated in activity counter to this and is … an important factor in considering whether Ms. Laughton would be a future threat upon release,” the memo said.

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The filing described Laughton’s actions as “horrendous, reprehensible, and shocking,” but said that even though the crimes were “utterly inexcusable,” she should still receive a shorter sentence than her codefendant out of a sense of justice.

However, in their own sentencing memo, federal prosecutors requested Laughton receive 40 years in prison.

“These crimes only came to light when Laughton reported them in an apparent attempt to punish Groves for ending their relationship,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant, of course, did not disclose her own role in the creation of the imagery.”

“She ultimately admitted that she told Groves to touch one child’s penis, and claimed that she was feeding Groves’s attraction to children,” their memo said.

The prosecutors said that Laughton’s voice was the “more prominent one” in the conversation about exploiting children.

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