CONCORD – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that former Merrimack Police Officer Ryan Milligan pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors relating to fabrication of traffic warnings and misuse of driver records.
On June 15, 2023, Mr. Milligan, age 36 and of Manchester, plead guilty pursuant to a negotiated resolution of the matter in the 6th Circuit–District Division–Concord to two class B misdemeanor counts of Tampering with Public Records or Information violations contrary to RSA 641:7, I, and one violation count of Records and Certification—commonly known as the Driver Privacy Act—contrary to RSA 260:14, IX(a).
The evidence in this case established that Mr. Milligan fabricated handwritten warnings purportedly issued during a September 1, 2022, New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety traffic enforcement detail (“OHS detail”) and generated these fictitious warnings by using information obtained through the State Police On-Line Telecommunications System. The evidence in this case also established that Mr. Milligan fabricated handwritten warnings in connection with a second OHS detail occurring on August 18, 2022. As a result of the foregoing conduct, the Merrimack Police Department did not seek reimbursement from the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety for these details.
As part of the negotiated resolution, Mr. Milligan will be fined a total of $3,400 with all but $600 suspended for a period of two years. In addition, Mr. Milligan, who has resigned from the Merrimack Police Department, has agreed to: (1) voluntarily surrender his certification as a law enforcement officer in the State of New Hampshire, and placement on a national registry of decertified officers; (2) not seek future employment as a law enforcement officer; and (3) not contest his placement on the State of New Hampshire’s Exculpatory Evidence Schedule (“EES”).
If Mr. Milligan violates any of the above conditions within two years of the date of sentencing, the State may seek to impose the suspended portion of his negotiated fine and reserves the right to bring forward additional charges.
This matter was investigated and prosecuted by members of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Unit after a referral by the Merrimack Police Department. The New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes allegations of criminal conduct committed by state officials, judicial officers, and law enforcement officers in the State of New Hampshire.