2-State Chase Leads To New Hampshire Dept. Of Corrections Fugitive’s Arrest: Follow-Up

CONCORD, NH — A New Hampshire Department of Corrections fugitive of the week suspect from late August was arrested late last month after a high-speed chase through two states.

Michael D. Bennett, 31, was featured on Aug. 28 due to being wanted on a probation violation after a reckless conduct with a deadly weapon conviction. According to investigators, he is now in custody after being arrested by Milton police “following a high-speed pursuit that spanned New Hampshire and Maine,” the department said.

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Bennett now faces new charges, including felony habitual offender, reckless operation, disobeying an officer, and misuse of plates.

“He will be held pending further legal action,” department investigators said. “The New Hampshire Department of Corrections extends its thanks to the Milton Police Department and all agencies involved in bringing Bennett into custody.”

According to superior court records, Bennett’s criminal history includes several cases and dates back about eight years.

In December 2016, he was charged with four counts of acts prohibited and controlled drug: controlled premises where drugs kept charges from a few weeks before in Portsmouth. He pleaded guilty to a single count in May 2017 and received a 12-month sentence and $434 in fines, suspended for two years.

In Sanbornville, about three and a half years later, Bennett was accused of two acts prohibited charges. The case was filed seven months later. He pleaded guilty to a single count in August 2021 and received a six-month sentence and $434 in fines, all suspended.

While the Sanbornton case was going on, Bennett was arrested in three other cases in 2021: DUI, felony acts prohibited, and breach of bail in Wakefield in March 2021; felony drug possession in Rochester in March 2021; and two felony drug possession charges in Rochester in April 2021. Bennett pleaded guilty to the acts prohibited charge out of Wakefield in September 2021 and received suspended sentences and fines. In December 2021, he pleaded guilty to two of the Rochester drug possession charges. Bennett received two 12-month sentences and $1,240 in fines, all suspended for two years.

Another acts prohibited charge arrest occurred in Sanbornville in May 2022 that was nolle prossed a year later.

Bennett was accused of habitual offender, driving after revocation, disobeying an officer, felony theft, and reckless conduct-deadly weapon charges in November 2022 in Seabrook. The case was filed in May 2023. In August 2023, he was also charged with habitual offender, driving after revocation, disobeying an officer, felony theft, resisting, driving without giving proof, and reckless conduct-deadly weapon charges. On March 3, he pleaded guilty to the habitual offender charge and received another 12-month sentence suspended for two years. The other charges were dropped. About five weeks later, a warrant was issued for his arrest after being accused of absconding from supervision and he was arrested and agreed to drug court. On May 17, another warrant was issued for absconding from supervision.

Bennett also failed to appear at a plea and sentencing hearing on May 8 and again on Aug. 28 in the Seabrook cases. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.

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