A New Hampshire resident has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy aimed at harassing and intimidating two journalists from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The acts of harassment included vandalism on five occasions at the homes of the journalists and one journalist's parents, using bricks, rocks, and red spray paint.
Keenan Saniatan, 36, from Nashua, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Saniatan had pleaded guilty in September 2024 to charges of conspiracy to commit stalking using interstate commerce facilities and stalking using such facilities. He was charged in June 2023 alongside Tucker Cockerline and Michael Waselchuck. A federal grand jury indicted these individuals along with Eric Labarge, another New Hampshire man.
The incidents trace back to March 2022 when an NHPR journalist published an article about alleged misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson referred to as Subject 1 in court documents. This prompted Labarge, identified as a close associate of Subject 1, along with Saniatan, Cockerline, and Waselchuck, to engage in harassment against the journalists involved.
Saniatan admitted responsibility for vandalizing properties linked to the NHPR journalists in April 2022 upon Labarge's request. On April 24, he spray-painted offensive language on Victim 2’s home in Concord and threw a rock at it. That same night, he vandalized Victim 1’s parents' home in Hampstead similarly. Additionally, Cockerline and Waselchuck carried out separate vandalism acts on Victim 1's current and former residences during April and May.
Labarge received a sentence of 46 months imprisonment followed by supervised release earlier this November. Meanwhile, Cockerline and Waselchuck were sentenced earlier this year to prison terms of 27 months and 21 months respectively; both sentences also include supervised release.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy alongside Jodi Cohen from the FBI Boston Field Division. Assistance came from several local police departments including those from Concord, Hampstead, Hanover in New Hampshire; Melrose Police Department in Massachusetts; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings are prosecuting the case.