Lowell Men Charged With Stealing Trump Signs In Windham

WINDHAM, NH — Police in Windham have filed charges against two Massachusetts men accused of stealing political signs in town.

Cody Martin, 18, of Gorham St. in Lowell, MA, and Alyxander Scott Rios, 18, of Avon St. in Lowell, MA, were cited each with a single theft by unauthorized taking-less than $1,000 charge each on Aug. 28.

According to police, the Trump 2020 signs were stolen on Aug. 13 and the next day, former state Rep. David Bates, who lives in Ministerial Road, reported the signs stolen. He provided video surveillance footage of the theft — which included the license plate of a vehicle from Massachusetts.

"Based on a short investigation we were able to determine the owner of the vehicle and subsequently identified the individuals involved," said Capt. Michael Caron of the Windham Police Department. "Both subjects were contacted and admitted to stealing the sign off the property."

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no booking photos were taken of the suspects and they were released on summonses. They were due to appear in Salem District Court on Oct. 5 for arraignment. The arraignment for both suspects, however, was canceled, according to court documents.

Back in August, Bates said the theft of the signs was more than a mere prank — those involved, he noted, were attempting to deny him and others who had been victims of sign stealing their first amendment rights. He hoped that the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office would get involved since the act of stealing a political sign is more than just a theft incident — it is a violation election law tampering carrying a $1,000 civil penalty.

That is, however, not going to happen, according to the attorney general's office.

Nicholas Chong Yen, an assistant attorney general, said since the Windham police had charged the suspects, the offense is the "same severity," and a criminal prosecution had already begun, "this office cannot seek additional charges for the same conduct."

Stolen political signs has been an issue for many years but more cases are being taken seriously by law enforcement. In one case in the Lakes Region, James Babcock has been charged with theft by unauthorized taking and an election law violation of tampering with an election sign.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Windham Police Department and Salem District Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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