Third New Hampshire Fugitive Captured In 5 Days: U.S. Marshals

CONCORD, NH — Three times a charm, as the saying goes, and for the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force, getting a third fugitive in five days off the streets is always good news.

This week’s Fugitive of the Week, Shaun William Laws, was to be featured Wednesday but was captured quickly, Jeffrey White, a deputy marshal, said.

Laws, 32, who was known to be transient in Rochester, was wanted on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear on an assault by a prisoner charge out of Strafford County Superior Court and for probation violations after being convicted on a theft charge in Rockingham County Superior Court.

Also Read

• Fugitive NH Sex Offender Captured After Chase On I-93: U.S. Marshals
• Tips Lead To NH Fugitive Hiding In A Tent In Maine, U.S. Marshals Say

Members of the task force “developed information” he might be in a Rochester motel, White said.

“After a short period of surveillance,” he said, “members of the task force went to the motel room and made contact with the renter who is a known relative of Laws. After initially denying Shaun’s presence in the room, Shaun was located in the bathroom and arrested without further incident.”

Laws was taken to the Strafford County Jail for processing pending court appearances on the warrants.

White said along with marshals, members of the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenfield Police Department assisted with the capture.

According to superior court records, Laws' criminal history dates back to at least May 2013 when he was accused of robbery, theft, and simple assault in Somersworth. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges a few months later and the robbery charge was dropped. Laws was arrested on a violation of probation charge in 2014 and later sentenced on the charge.

In Farmington, in March 2016, he was accused of assault, disorderly, and resisting arrest, and pleaded guilty to all three charges about five months later. Laws was found to be in violation of probation in August 2017.

In January 2018, he was involved in felony theft and attempted theft incidents in Rochester and pleaded guilty to both charges four months later.

In Somersworth in January 2020, Laws was accused of felony drug possession and felony receiving stolen property, and identity fraud in Dover in August 2020. The drug charge was later dropped but the Dover charges are still active, according to the court.

In February 2020, he was accused of assault by a prisoner in Dover and felony theft in Newington. The theft charge led to a guilty plea in March 2021 but the assault charge and a violation of probation charge are still active. Laws also has active felony theft and contempt cases out of Rochester from 2020 and 2021.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.