Editor’s Note: Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday US Attorney Jane Young said she is resigning in a news release detailing her accomplishments in the office, but didn’t say what her plans are for the future. Also Thursday, an email from InDepthNH.org to Gov.-Elect Kelly Ayotte’s press office asking if she plans to replace Attorney General John Formella with Young received no response. At 5:57 p.m. Thursday a spokesman for the US Attorney’s office emailed this response: “I cannot speak to that question. You’ll need to ask the Governor-elect’s office.”
United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today that she is resigning on January 17, 2025. She has served in the position since May 2, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Young was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on January 26, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 27, 2022. Prior to her confirmation as United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney Young served as the New Hampshire Deputy Attorney General.
In addition to her duties as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the District of New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Young served on the United States Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Subcommittees on (1) Civil Rights, (2) White Collar Fraud, and (3) Law Enforcement Coordination, Victim Assistance and Community Relations (LEVC).
“As a born and raised Granite Stater, I am honored to have served the people of New Hampshire as the United States Attorney. After more than thirty years as a prosecutor in New Hampshire, I continue to be awed by the unwavering dedication and commitment to justice exhibited by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and staff who support the tireless work of keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Over the past two and a half years, law enforcement in the Granite State prioritized investigating those who illegally possessed firearms, made threats to government officials and schools, exploited our most vulnerable citizens, as well as defrauded pandemic-relief and other federal programs. I am particularly proud of the education we provided community members and the private sector on emerging frauds and scams, the expansion of the United States Attorney’s Office to include two additional prosecutors focused on civil rights and violent crimes, and the restitution orders obtained to make fraud victims whole. I also want to especially thank United State Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan for placing their trust in me when recommending me for this role.”
During U.S. Attorney Young’s tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted a variety of complex federal crimes, including drug trafficking, financial fraud, elder and child exploitation, and violent crime. Among these cases include:
Financial Fraud
U.S. v. Ian Freeman, a Keene man was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for laundering over ten million dollars in proceeds of romance scams and other internet fraud by exchanging U.S. dollars for Bitcoin. The defendant was ordered to pay restitution totaling $3,502,708.62 to 29 victims of his offense.
U.S. v. Pierre Rogers and Joshua Leavitt, two finance professionals were sentenced to more than 3 years and more than 2 years in federal prison, respectively, for committing wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with $6 million in attempted CARES Act loans. Rogers went on a lavish spending spree with the funds, buying a Porsche and Rolls Royce, and luxury items from retailers such as Cartier, Bulgari, and Bottega Veneta.
Bringing in or Harboring Certain Aliens
U.S. v. Abraham Hernandez, a New York man was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison in connection with transporting nine illegal immigrants in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. This was the first successful prosecution of alien smuggling in the District of New Hampshire within the past twenty years, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Project Safe Childhood
U.S. v. Michael Chick, a former school bus driver was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for cyberstalking an eight-year-old child on his bus route.
U.S. v. Chad Lawlor, a repeat sex offender was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in connection with administering an online chat group devoted to the sexual exploitation of children and the exchange of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. v. John E. Murray III, a manager at West Alton Marina on Alton Bay was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for soliciting minor employees of the marina for sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, often in exchange for money. He also subjected minor employees to unwanted sexual contact and sexual acts.
Violent Crime
In 2023, U.S. Attorney Young advocated for and was awarded an additional Assistant United States Attorney position dedicated to prosecuting violent crimes.
U.S. v. Justin Gebo, a former Belmont man was sentenced to nearly 3 years in federal prison for possession of firearms as a prohibited person. The defendant was prohibited from possessing a firearm by being in possession of a firearm while under indictment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. One of the firearms that the defendant unlawfully possessed was subsequently recovered during a homicide investigation in Franklin, New Hampshire.
U.S. v. Kyle Hendrickson, a Maine man was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison for threatening the Portsmouth High School. He posted a video on SnapChat, in which he brandished a handgun while in a vehicle outside of the high school. The video included a text overlay that read “imma shoot up the school.” The defendant was also ordered to pay $21,946 in restitution to Portsmouth School District.
U.S. v. Robert Reidy, a Nashua man was sentenced to more than 7 years in federal prison for the illegal possession of ghost guns and ammunition and possessing unregistered firearms. At the time of his arrest, the defendant refused multiple commands to exit his residence, and ultimately surrendered after chemical munitions were deployed into his residence.
Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office focused on civil rights violations and enforcement actions. Among these cases include:
Controlled Substances Act
U.S. v. Cheshire Medical Center, Cheshire Medical Center in Keene agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by failing to keep accurate records of controlled substances, including opioids, after a nurse stole twenty-three intravenous bags of fentanyl solution from an automatic medication dispensing machine. This was one of the largest settlements of drug diversion claims against a hospital in the country.
U.S. v. Catholic Medical Center, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by failing to keep accurate records of controlled substances, including opioids, after a certified registered nurse anesthetist had tampered with and diverted liquid fentanyl.
Civil Rights
In 2023, U.S. Attorney Young advocated for and was awarded an additional Assistant United States Attorney position dedicated to enforcing civil rights. Since then, the United States Attorney’s Office has focused on educating community members on law enforcement’s approach to investigating and enforcing violations of civil rights. The office has reached several settlement agreements related to civil rights violations including allegations that Smitty’s Cinema in Maine and New Hampshire violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not offering audio description devices and closed captioning devices for customers who have vision or hearing disabilities. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office settled allegations that Manchester landlords violated the Fair Housing Act when they refused to consider their tenant’s reasonable accommodation request to have a Yorkshire terrier mix, as an Emotional Support Animal, reside with her.
In addition to case work, under United States Attorney Young’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office strengthened and expanded law enforcement partnerships, community outreach efforts, and accessibility to public information. Since May 2022, among other actions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office utilized federal programs and national expertise to offer 18 law enforcement trainings at no-cost to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Hampshire or police departments. These trainings focused on strengthening New Hampshire law enforcement’s understanding of legal, investigative, and effective community policing topics, including trainings on Miranda warnings, dark web investigations, pre-indicators of violent assault, suicide prevention for all layers of law enforcement, and best practices for engaging with faith-based communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also become a leader in addressing emerging public safety concerns, such as elder fraud and scams, bank fraud, and hate crimes, by participating in more than 30 community awareness events.
