CONCORD, NH — The following information was released by the U.S. Attorney's Office recently.
A man from Haverhill, Massachusetts, was found guilty by a federal jury after a four-day trial in a case tied to an undercover law enforcement operation in Manchester in November 2024.
Sharath Chandra Bollu, 25, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct in late August, according to United States Attorney Erin Creegan's announcement. He will be sentenced in late November.
The case began in November 2024, during what prosecutors described as a proactive law enforcement operation. Agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored that line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Bollu.
During a text conversation and several phone calls between an undercover agent and Bollu, the agent stated a 12-year-old girl was available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. Bollu communicated with the number and traveled to a hotel in Manchester, which had been designated as the location for the commercial sex date. Prosecutors said he brought condoms and $100 in cash to the hotel.
Six people have been indicted by a grand jury in what prosecutors described as an interstate drug conspiracy tied to a kidnapping in Springfield, Vermont.
The superseding indictment names Tyron Harris, Damarcus Bonner, Nicole Palardy, Jessenialyz Jones, Sheldon Stocker, and Jesse Emerson, and spans two years in multiple states.
Harris, Bonner, Palardy, Jones, Stocker and Emerson were charged in the drug conspiracy, officials said. Harris and Bonner were also charged separately with the kidnapping. Harris, Bonner, Palardy and Jones were charged with kidnapping conspiracy.
The defendants, according to officials, kidnapped a woman in Claremont and brought her to a residence in Springfield, VT. The victim was held there against her will, tortured and beaten, while the defendants demanded money from her and others on her behalf, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Springfield police learned of the kidnapping, went to the residence in late January, rescued the victim from the residence, and arrested the defendants, according to a report. A search of the residence revealed a firearm, drugs packaged for distribution, duct tape that was used to bind the victim, and items used for torture, according to the announcement.
Two former Granite Staters have been indicted, accused of thefts from bank ATMs and money laundering tied to cash deposits and large purchases.
Christopher Skinner, 41, formerly of Milford, is charged with 18 counts of bank theft, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Amee Skinner, 37, formerly of Conway, is charged with two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
According to officials, Christopher Skinner worked in February 2024 for a business that loaded currency into ATMs in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The charging documents allege that, beginning on Feb. 2, 2024, he stole cash while loading the machines. Between Feb. 2 and Feb. 26, 2024, he allegedly stole about $259,574 from ATMs belonging to two victim banks.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in February 2024, the pair made frequent cash deposits into a joint bank account and an account held only in Amee Skinner's name. Between February and July 2024, the two allegedly deposited $117,175 in cash into those accounts.
According to the indictment, the defendants also used the funds for substantial personal purchases.
Christopher Skinner was arrested in Texas on Aug. 30, waived his initial appearance, and pleaded not guilty. Amee Skinner waived her initial appearance and pleaded not guilty to the charges this week.
Editor's note: This post was derived from information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Unless noted, information does not constitute a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
A Vermont sex offender was sentenced in federal court on Sept. 21 after admitting he failed to report his employment in New Hampshire as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
David Courtemarche, 45, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in November 2025 to failing to register his employment since 2021 in violation of federal law.
Courtemarche is required to register as a sex offender for life because of a 2003 Vermont conviction for raping a 14-year-old child. He knew about his registration requirements but, by at least December 2021, worked in New Hampshire without reporting that employment. Later, he started dating a co-worker and began living with her in New Hampshire to avoid arrest warrants in Vermont. Despite living and working in New Hampshire, he never registered as a sex offender in the state.
"Sex offenders are legally required to register their employment so law enforcement can monitor and prevent predatory behavior," U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said. "The defendant ignored that requirement, undermining a critical safeguard designed to protect children. Today's sentencing sends a clear message: law enforcement in the Granite State will hold sex offenders accountable when they attempt to evade oversight and will continue to prioritize the safety of our children."
A woman from Phoenix, Arizona, woman pleaded guilty in federal court on Sept. 8 in a drug case tied to shipments sent to Manchester.
Brejea Wrigley, 30, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of distribution of controlled substances, specifically more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators said Wrigley took over a dark web methamphetamine distribution operation in August 2025 under the vendor account name "BlackCoconut." The account was used to arrange shipments of drug parcels nationwide through the United States Postal Service. Items for sale through the operation included methamphetamine, fentanyl marketed as "China White," pressed oxycodone pills, and mushrooms in various quantities.
The Manchester connection came when undercover agents arranged through the dark web for parcels of methamphetamine to be purchased and shipped from Phoenix to a law enforcement-monitored P.O. Box in Manchester in September and October 2025, according to court documents and statements made in court. The first shipment contained nearly 450 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside two stuffed animals and was purchased for a total of $1,850 from the "BlackCoconut" account.
A second shipment contained more than 800 grams of methamphetamine and was packaged similarly to the first shipment, according to court documents and statements made in court. Following further investigation and the execution of search warrants, court documents say Wrigley was identified as the person operating the "BlackCoconut" dark web account and trafficking operation.
A Manchester property management company and two co-defendants have settled with the United States, resolving allegations that they violated the Fair Housing Act.
In a complaint filed in January 2025, prosecutors alleged that Greenview Associates L.P., Palmer Asset Management, LLC, and John Martin retaliated against a tenant at one of the defendants' properties. The complaint alleged the defendants attempted to evict the tenant in late 2023 because he had filed a discrimination claim against them with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.
Under the agreement, the defendants have agreed to pay the tenant $20,000 and provide credits for certain rents owed. They also agreed to ensure Fair Housing Act compliance policies are in place at all of their properties and to provide Fair Housing Act training to all employees.
People who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department's Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, submit a report online, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.
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