Founder of New Hampshire addiction center charged in scheme to intimidate journalists
The founder and former CEO of New Hampshire's largest network of addiction centers was arrested Friday after federal prosecutors say he orchestrated a conspiracy to stalk and harass local journalists in retaliation for unfavorable reporting.
The Justice Department announced the charges against Eric Spofford, 40, who founded the for-profit drug and alcohol treatment company Granite Recovery Centers, in a Friday press release.
Prosecutors said Spofford — who lives in both Salem, New Hampshire, and Miami, Florida — was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce; and two counts of stalking through interstate travel.
From March 2022 and continuing through at least May 2022, Spofford allegedly devised a scheme to harass and terrorize a reporter employed by New Hampshire Public Radio, her immediate family members and a senior editor at NHPR in retaliation for the outlet's reporting, officials said.
That year, NHPR reported multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive leadership and retaliation by Spofford during his time as CEO of the addiction center. Spofford denied the allegations and later filed a defamation lawsuit against the outlet, officials said. A judge dismissed Spofford's suit, NHPR reported.
Prosecutors said Spofford paid his close friend $20,000 to throw large rocks and bricks at the victims' homes at night and spray-paint the properties with 'lewd and threatening language.'
Spofford's friend was assisted by three others who are currently in prison for their involvement in the harassment scheme, prosecutors said.
Jim Schachter, the president and CEO of NHPR, thanked the Justice Department in a statement on X and said that 'attacks on journalists have no place in American life.'
'His attempt to silence our reporting failed, as should every attempt to snuff out press freedom,' he wrote.
The journalist who reported the investigation, Lauren Chooljian, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Each count against Spofford carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.
An attorney for Spofford could not be immediately reached for comment.
A spokesperson for Granite Recovery Centers said in a phone call that Spofford sold the company three years ago and that 'he has nothing to do with the company.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
24 minutes ago
- Metro
Six people injured in petrol bomb and flamethrower attack at pro-Israel rally
Six people were injured in a 'targeted terror attack' when a man used a makeshift flamethrower to set fire to people at a pro-Israel event in Colorado. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' at an outdoor mall in Boulder, where a group had gathered to raise attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The suspect was taken into custody and the FBI has said although no charges were immediately announced, but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable'. The attack occurred at a popular pedestrian mall in Boulder, where a group had gathered for an event to draw attention to Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza. Injuries ranged from serious to minor. The suspect was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled: 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department, which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations, decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'. 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. Police in Boulder were more circumspect about a motive. Police Chief Steve Redfearn said it 'would be irresponsible for me to speculate' while witnesses were still being interviewed but noted that the group that had gathered in support of the hostages had assembled peacefully and that injuries of the victims – ranging from serious to minor – were consistent with them having been set on fire. More Trending The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles northwest of Denver, that killed four people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Urgent recall of 256,000 pounds of canned beef stew over fears they contain wood pieces MORE: Trump reveals if he's willing to pardon ex-pal Diddy if convicted of sex trafficking MORE: Biden jokes he 'can beat the hell out of' authors on his decline after cancer diagnosis
Belfast Telegraph
33 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Several injured after ‘terror attack' on promenade in Colorado, US police say
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' and used a makeshift flamethrower in the attack, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the Denver field office. The suspect was taken into custody. No charges were immediately announced, but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable'. The attack occurred at a popular pedestrian mall in Boulder, where a group had gathered for an event to draw attention to Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza. Injuries ranged from serious to minor. The suspect was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled: 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department, which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations, decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'. 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. Police in Boulder were more circumspect about a motive. Police Chief Steve Redfearn said it 'would be irresponsible for me to speculate' while witnesses were still being interviewed but noted that the group that had gathered in support of the hostages had assembled peacefully and that injuries of the victims — ranging from serious to minor — were consistent with them having been set on fire. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles northwest of Denver, that killed four people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable'.
North Wales Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Several injured after ‘terror attack' on promenade in Colorado, US police say
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' and used a makeshift flamethrower in the attack, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the Denver field office. The suspect was taken into custody. No charges were immediately announced, but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable'. The attack occurred at a popular pedestrian mall in Boulder, where a group had gathered for an event to draw attention to Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza. Injuries ranged from serious to minor. The suspect was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled: 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department, which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations, decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'. 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. Police in Boulder were more circumspect about a motive. Police Chief Steve Redfearn said it 'would be irresponsible for me to speculate' while witnesses were still being interviewed but noted that the group that had gathered in support of the hostages had assembled peacefully and that injuries of the victims — ranging from serious to minor — were consistent with them having been set on fire. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles northwest of Denver, that killed four people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable'.
