BOSTON — The founder and former CEO of Granite Recover Centers in New Hampshire was arrested Friday and indicted for allegedly organizing a harassment and stalking campaign against local journalists in retaliation for unfavorable reporting.
Eric Spofford, 40, of Salem, N.H. and Miami, Fla., was arrested Friday afternoon and indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Friday.
He is charged with two counts of stalking through interstate travel and one count each of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce, and stalking using a facility of interstate commerce.
Spofford is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on June 2.
Spofford is the founder and former CEO of Granite Recover Centers, a for-profit drug and alcohol treatment company founded in New Hampshire in 2008.
According to court documents, in March 2022, New Hampshire Public Radio published an article on its website that detailed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive leadership and retaliation by Spofford during his time as CEO of Granite Recover Centers.
The article garnered significant local and national media attention. Spofford publicly denied the allegations and later sued New Hampshire Public Radio, claiming defamation. A New Hampshire judge dismissed Spofford’s lawsuit in 2023.
Beginning around March 2022 and continuing through May 2022, Spofford allegedly devised a scheme “to harass and terrorize the journalist who authored the article, the journalist’s immediate family members, as well as a senior editor at New Hampshire Public Radio in response to, and in retaliation for, NHPR’s reporting,” Foley said.
The alleged scheme involved vandalizing the victims’ homes at night with large rocks and bricks, and by spray painting the homes with lewd and threatening language, prosecutors said.
Spofford allegedly hired his close friend, Eric Labarge, to carry out the scheme, Foley said.
Spofford allegedly provided Labarge with the victims’ addresses, gave Labarge specific instructions on how to harass and stalk the victims and paid Labarge $20,000 in cash, Foley said.
Prosecutors said three other people, Tucker Cockerline, Keenan Saniatan and Michael Waselchuck, assisted Labarge in carrying out the stalking campaign.
Labarge, Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck were previously charged for their involvement in the harassment campaign and have since been convicted.
In November 2024, Labarge was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
In August 2024, Cockerline was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
In December 2024, Saniatan was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
In September 2024, Waselchuck was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Spofford is the CEO of Spofford Enterprises, according to the website bearing his name.
“He is an entrepreneur, speaker, coach, recovered drug addict, and student of the game,” his website states. “At 23, inspired by his own struggles with addiction, Eric founded and operated one of the largest addiction treatment organizations in New England, which he sold for nine figures in 2021.”
Spofford is also a real estate investor and developer, the website states. He has testified before the U.S. Senate, received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and is a published author.
“Sobriety is a super power,” Spofford wrote in a Jan. 5, 2024 post on Facebook.
Months later, in another June 23, 2024 post on Facebook, Spofford wrote, “You are absolutely going to get judged by the people you associate with. So pick wisely.”
“Be very intentional about building your circle. You and the right group of friends could conquer a small country,” Spofford wrote. “And the wrong people will tank your ship.”
If convicted, for each count of the indictment, Spofford faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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