Lakes Region Felon Accused Of Stealing Brass From Mausoleum, Possessing Stolen Handgun

TILTON, NH — Police have arrested a Lakes Region felon and accused him of stealing brass and construction equipment and possessing a stolen 9 mm handgun.

Police in Tilton spent a month investigating the theft of stolen brass fittings from the Tilton Family Mausoleum in Park Cemetery. According to a Facebook post, officers executed search warrants in Ashland and Northfield and reportedly recovered the brass fittings. During the search, police found more than $100,000 worth of construction equipment stolen from Ashland and Concord. Police also found a stolen handgun and a decorative brass ring stolen from a historic chandelier at the Tilton Mansion last year, the report said.

Fred “Cricket” Cross, 53, of Northfield was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including criminal mischief, theft, and interference with a cemetery or burial ground.

“Mr. Cross has been identified as an armed career criminal and is currently being held without bail at the Belknap County House of Correction,” the report stated. “Additional charges are expected from several agencies.”

Police in Tilton thanked the Ashland, Concord, and Northfield police departments for playing “an essential role in the investigation.”

According to superior court records, Cross has a lengthy criminal history dating back more than 30 years when he was charged with being a habitual offender in June 1993.

Cross was indicted on the charge, but it was nolle prossed five years later.

In 2011, he was accused of a controlled drug act in Laconia and burglary in Bridgewater. The drug charge was nolle prossed, but he pleaded guilty to the burglary charge in February 2013 and received a 12-month suspended sentence. He pleaded guilty to a parole violation in October 2014 and received a six-month sentence with 45 days served as credit.

Cross was involved in several cases in 2015, including acts prohibited out of Sanbornton, theft in Meredith, willful concealment in Franklin, and a controlled drug act in Tilton, pleading guilty to all the charges. In 2016, he faced more charges: acts prohibited and mischief in Franklin in one case; receiving stolen property, driving after revocation, disobeying an officer, and resisting in another case in Franklin. Cross was also charged with unarmed robbery, burglary, stalking, and breach of bail in Franklin; receiving stolen property, acts prohibited, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest or detention in Northfield; and bail jumping in Laconia. He pleaded guilty to many of the charges.

Cross was charged with theft in 2020 out of Moultonborough, with a guilty plea, and acts prohibited, driving after revocation or suspension, and breach of bail in Canterbury, charges which were all nolle prossed a few months later.

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