By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
BRENTWOOD – With the man behind the criminal charges against him sitting in the courtroom Friday, now former director of the Division of Ports and Harbors Geno Marconi ended a four-year investigation by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Driver Privacy Act.
The charge says Marconi, 74, of Stratham, knowingly used information from a department record for any use other than the use authorized by the Department of Safety by providing confidential motor vehicle records pertaining to Neil Levesque, vice chairman of the Pease Development Authority who attended the hearing, to Bradley Cook, who was then-chairman of the Division of Ports and Harbors Advisory Council.
Judge David Ruoff accepted Marconi’s guilty plea and sentenced him to 30 days in the House of Corrections with all suspended as long as he is on good behavior for one year, imposed a $2,000 fine plus penalty assessment and required as part of the plea deal that Marconi resign from his position.
The plea ends the investigation and came three weeks after Marconi’s wife, state Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, 69, pleaded no contest, but was found guilty of a misdemeanor for meeting with then-Governor Chris Sununu in June 2024 about the investigation into her husband. She was fined $1,200, faced no jail time and has returned to the Supreme Court hearing cases.
“The evidence shows that I did provide copies of one individual’s NH DMV records and related fishing and pier permits to the chairman of the Division of Ports and Harbors Advisory Council,” Marconi said after the hearing in Rockingham County Superior Court.
“Those documents were not shared with the public or posted on the DPH website (as the Pease Development Authority has and continues to do with similar records). Further, this action was done without malice or any nefarious purpose,” Marconi said, adding he will retire after four decades of public service.
The documents in question belonged to Neil Levesque, vice chairman of the Pease Development Authority, who is also the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.
Levesque told reporters and posted on social media after the hearing that he was a victim and has been forced to look over his shoulder for the last four years.
Court records show that Levesque and Marconi had long been at odds with each other.
Bradley Cook of Hampton was indicted for the class B felony of perjury and two counts of class A misdemeanor False Swearing. Those charges are still pending. Senior Assistant Attorney General Dan Jimenez wouldn’t say whether there are plea negotiations ongoing with Cook.
Geno Marconi had been charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors. The other charges were dismissed, according to the plea document.
Attorney General John M. Formella said Marconi is also prohibited from seeking or accepting any job at Pease Development Authority.
Formella has been criticized for bringing the criminal charges against the powerful Seacoast couple for what appeared to their supporters to be minor issues.
“Public service is a privilege and a responsibility, not a right. Every public official must be held to a high standard and comply with the law,” Formella said. “This case demonstrates that accountability applies equally to all, regardless of position or relationship. The Department of Justice will continue to enforce the law fairly and independently to protect the public’s trust in its State government.”
He said Marconi “intentionally and unlawfully disclosed information protected under the Driver Privacy Act, which limits access to certain motor vehicle records except as authorized by law.”
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Jiménez and Assistant Attorney General Joe M. Fincham II of the Public Integrity Unit.
Levesque said as a member of the Board of Directors of the Pease Development Authority, he had a fiduciary duty to look out for the best interest of the Authority.
“I did that, even when it meant calling into question the actions of some powerful and influential people. It has not been easy.
“One of those powerful and influential people was the defendant before the court today, Geno Marconi. Because I did my duty, the defendant sought to retaliate against me, including by violating my rights, an act he is pleading guilty to here today.”
Levesque said Marconi’s plea was a first step in clearing out “what I believe to be an organized criminal conspiracy that has plagued the Division of Ports and Harbors for years.
“…I was subsequently the victim of retaliation as I, and others, worked to disclose what I believe to be a sophisticated, organized criminal enterprise, run by the defendant.
“It is my hope that the full details of the investigation are released to the public at the earliest possible time. The public needs to know the full extent of what the Attorney General’s Office uncovered about Geno Marconi’s actions,” Levesque said.
When asked about Levesque’s allegations, Senior Assistant Attorney General Jimenez said, “I’m not going to get into what Neil believes or doesn’t believe. But what I will say is we reviewed all the evidence. We did an analysis on what charges were appropriate and we brought those charges based on the evidence.”
Asked if he believes justice has been served in both criminal cases, Jimenez said: “One is a long-serving public official, the other is a Supreme Court justice. They are both now convicted.”