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December 6, 2024 – USA –
In a decisive move to protect press freedom, a U.S. federal court sentenced a New Hampshire man and several accomplices to significant prison terms for their roles in a targeted harassment campaign against two journalists from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The attacks, which took place in 2022, were retaliation for investigative reporting into allegations of sexual misconduct by a local businessman, a personal associate of the lead perpetrator.
Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and using interstate communication to stalk journalists. Along with three others—Tucker Cockerline (27 months), Michael Waselchuck (21 months), and ringleader Eric Labarge (46 months)—Saniatan participated in multiple acts of vandalism and intimidation. Their crimes included spray-painting obscene threats like “C*NT” on the journalists’ homes, throwing rocks through windows, and targeting the residence of a journalist’s parents.
Labarge, 46, orchestrated the attacks after NHPR aired reports about his close friend, the subject of sexual misconduct allegations. He recruited the others to carry out the intimidation campaign, which spanned several months and left the victims traumatized. Labarge was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay over $34,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy described the attacks as a “terror campaign” designed to silence independent journalism, warning that such assaults on the media threaten the core values of democracy. The FBI’s Boston office emphasized that threats against journalists not only violate the law but also aim to undermine the public’s right to information.
Press freedom organizations have welcomed the convictions as a clear signal that the U.S. judicial system will not tolerate violence or intimidation directed at reporters. With growing global concerns over the safety of journalists, the case stands as a rare but powerful example of accountability.
The sentencing serves as a stark reminder: while journalism can provoke powerful backlash, democratic institutions must uphold the press’s right to investigate and inform, free from fear or coercion. The courts have now sent a firm message—threats against the press will not go unpunished.
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