The 13th Step - Update: A Big Arrest

Episode Date: September 12, 2023

Federal prosecutors have charged a fourth person in the vandalism case, a man they describe as a “close, personal associate” of Eric Spofford.

Hi, this is Harry. Sorry I'm not here to take your call. Come on, Dad. Hello? Mom, they picked up Erickle Barge. Get out! I won't. Lauren, how are you doing? I don't even know, I'm going to go over there.

Hey, it's Lauren Chulgen, and I've got a big update for you about the vandalism. The bricks and spray paint at four different houses all connected to me in my reporting. There's been another arrest, a fourth person. A quick recap since it's been a bit. Last episode I told you that three men were arrested and face federal charges for their alleged roles in the vandalism. Federal prosecutors believe Tucker-Cockerline, Michael Wasselchuck, and Keenan Senni-Attin were the guys who actually threw the bricks and rocks, and spray painted our houses.

My house, my parents' house twice, my news director Dan Barrick's house, and in old house I used to live in. But now, a federal grand jury has charged a fourth guy named Eric LaBarch, and he's not just another guy who threw a brick. The feds say Eric LaBarch is the person who organized these hits on our houses. Federal prosecutors now say that Eric LaBarch paid those guys to harass us, all because of my reporting about Eric's bofford. The thing is, I know about Eric Lebarge.

Eric Lebarge is really close friends with Eric's bofford. So yeah, I have a lot to tell you about who Lebarge is and what happened when I saw him in court. And before we get into it, I have to say again that this whole thing is so weird. I'm a reporter. I'm sharing public information with you. But I'm also one of the victims of the federal crimes LeBarge was arrested for. But after three years of reporting, and all that's happened in response to it, I know the story best.

So Eric LeBarge. He's 46 years old. He's a big guy, wide shoulders, tattoos on his thick arms and legs. I found a video of an interview LeBarge did in 2020 talking about his history with drug use and his journey to recovery. It was for a public access cable show in New Hampshire. And by his telling, his early teens were spent in and out of her form school, a New Hampshire state-run youth detention center. I went to prison fairly young. I went to prison when I was about 19 years old. I was a full blown, you know, co-caduct.

I got into a fight when I was younger and I ended up doing two to seven. It was the first time I got it. The barge says life went on like this for a while. His 20s and early 30s were a constant cycle of drugs, fights, and more prison time. The longer I stayed in, the more of a convict I became. The more institutionalized I became, it became home. It still feels a little weird saying that, but it's my truth. When I went, it was almost a comfortable feeling in the back of the cruiser and handcuffs

and then I was going back home. Lebarge says he got involved in, quote, some organized crime stuff, and he earned a reputation as a guy who could be violent. Now, I couldn't confirm what he means by organized crime. But Lebarge's history of violence certainly bears out. In 2010, La Barge was arrested at a motel in Massachusetts for allegedly stabbing someone multiple times with a soldering iron. The charges were dropped because the victim didn't show up for a court date. Two years later, La Barge was all over the local news.

For allegedly beating up his girlfriend while he was driving on New Hampshire's main highway. So yeah, he's got a violent past. And I was known for doing favors. I did favors for people with violence and I did things that most people wouldn't do. And I did that. It wasn't a good person. I can tell you that. Keeped on the side. I had core values. Yeah. You didn't behave like a good person. I can tell you that. Teeth on its side, I had core values. Yeah. You didn't behave like a good person. No, no.

I had mannerisms. You always still in there though. But I could commit, you know, violence very easily in the end. Yep. And today, it's not really something I'm proud of. I mean, I clarify that when I'm speaking, because some people take that wrong, and it's nothing. Well, it's not that you are today. Well, it's not that you are today. Well, it's not that you's nothing. Well, it's not that you are today.

No, it's not not at all. This interview was recorded in 2020. But just a few years later, in June of 2022, La Barge was charged with first degree assault. He allegedly kicked a man repeatedly and threw him head first into the pavement. Police say the incident was caught on video. And so, when the FBI arrested La Barge last week, he was actually out on bail for this other assault. Somewhere along the way, Eric Labarge met Eric Spofford. I don't know exactly how they met, but they're tight. They work out together.

Eric Spofford has referred to Eric Labarge as his family. Spofford told a website called the New Hampshire Journal that he quote, worked closely with Eric Labarge to help him overcome his addiction in the early days of his sobriety. Spofford and Lebarge have posted lots of selfies together online. There's one of them at a monster truck rally. Another sitting in Eric's Bofford's sauna. The caption on that one was bros that sweat together, stay together. These guys seem to have each other's backs. Spofford once posted a picture of him and LaBarge, arms crossed in front of a big Spofferd enterprises sign. Spofferd added this caption,

you can't find happiness without friendship. Loyalty is a scarce commodity. And when Eric Spofferd posted on Facebook about my reporting, calling it fake news, Eric LaBarge was in the comments. LaBars wrote, quote, this is the type of stuff that ruins people's reputations. LaBars suggests that someone should issue an apology. When the feds made their first arrests in June, they actually reference LaBars

and their criminal complaint. But not by name, he was called Subject 2. Subject 2, they wrote, is a close personal associate of Eric Spofford. The FBI found that LaBarrs and Spofford have, quote, various business and financial dealings with each other. The FBI also pulled phone records that show these guys communicate with each other regularly, including around the time of the vandalism. To my knowledge, Spofford has made just one public statement about the vandalism. He said he was, quote, completely uninvolved. But you might remember, he also offered a theory. Spongford said, quote,

Many people in recovery have credited me with saving their lives. Perhaps one of them felt compelled to do these acts in a misguided attempt to defend me. I would never condone it, but I have no control over what other people do. Coming up, I go to court to see La Barge. The Mocley Federal Courthouse is in Boston, right on the water. It's a beautiful but intimidating building. My colleague Jason Moon and I decided we'd go together. We showed up about 30 minutes before a large was set to appear. As we waited in a hallway outside the courtroom,

we were handed a copy of the federal indictment in a Manila envelope. We posted the whole thing on our website, 13steppodcast.org, if you want to read it. There are a lot of new details in there about how the feds believe this went down. Here are some of the highlights. Prosecutors believe that

LeBarr's coordinated all five incidents of vandalism against me, my news director, and my parents. Take the house in Hanover, New Hampshire, for example. The house I used to rent, but no longer live in. Prosecutors say LeBarr's called Tucker Cockerline in April of 2022 to discuss vandalizing that house. LaBarrs even gave Cockerline the address. Cockerline then spray paints the seaword on the front door, throws a brick through the window. And the next morning, the feds say LaBarrs texted Cockerline.

We good, he wrote, with a thumbs up emoji. Cockerline wrote back, all gravy, exclamation point. The feds say Cockerline and Lebarge then met up in person, where Lebarge paid Cockerline $500 for his work. A month later, in May, the feds say Lebarge called Cockerline again. They met at Lebarge's house and discussed vandalizing my house in Massachusetts and my parents' house in New Hampshire. Cochrane decided to bring in a friend. He texted Michael Wastelchuck. Want to make some cash? Little spray pain and brick through a window? $500?

I got two spots to hit and would like to split the job. Wastelchuck writes back, I'm down to do that. On May 20th, the feds believe Cochraline vandalized my parents' house and Wastelchuck hit mine. Later, LaBarge texts Cochraline. Morning player, Smooth, Cochraline writes back, relatively. The feds say Cochraline went to LaBarge's house to pick up a thousand dollars cash. Cockerline then text Wasselchuck, quote, come through when you want your paycheck.

It was a lot. Standing in a federal courthouse, those text messages. But before I could truly process it all, it was time for LeBarge's hearing to start. You can't record audio in a federal courtroom, so I'm just going to tell you what happened. Jason and I walked into a small courtroom and sat down on a bench in the back. A few moments later, we heard a door open on the other side of the room. LeBarge walked in, handcuffed, and flanked by two FBI agents. He was wearing a white t-shirt, basketball shorts, and sandals. I looked in his direction, and instantly I noticed he was staring

right at me. We locked eyes. I leaned back slightly and brace myself. La Barge only broke his gaze when he reached his seat. The FBI agents turned him around and took off the handcuffs. A few minutes later, the judge walked in. This kind of hearing is what's known as an initial appearance. It's pretty quick.

La Barge was read his rights. There was some discussion about his next hearing. La Barge seemed totally unfazed by all of this. He talked quietly with his attorney, even laughing once. He looked at ease. A federal prosecutor read the charges La Barge faces. One count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce. Two counts of stalking through interstate travel, aiding and abetting. La Barge now faces up to 15 years in prison, five years for each charge.

There was a lot of local news coverage in Boston and New Hampshire. One television station repeatedly played the footage of the brick going through my window. But none of the coverage that day included one fact about Eric LaBarrige that I've been thinking about a lot. LaBarrige owns multiple sober homes in New Hampshire. He works in the recovery field. LaBarrige's company is called Starting Point. According to the website, he runs at least seven different houses for men and women in recovery. On the About page of the website, there's a picture of LaBarrge wearing a tight starting point t-shirt.

He's crouching down next to a pit bull. And there's some text next to the photo, quote, a message from Eric, starting point founder. LaBarge writes, if you are looking for a way out of active addiction, I don't care where you've been, what you've done, or how you got yourself into or out of jams. I don't care if you've never worked an honest day in your life. I only care about one thing. an honest day in your life. I only care about one thing. Are you willing to become a solid guy? Are you willing to change? Most of us, he adds, come into recovery with no practical adult life experience and no clue about how to be a decent human being. That's okay, he writes. We will teach you.

The only other time I've seen La Barge in person was actually at a conference a year ago, so September 2022. It's called the Cape Cod Symposium on addictive disorders. It's a national conference for people who work in recovery. La Barge was there representing his sober home company. All this to say,

La Barge's job is to provide safe, supportive housing for people during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. And yet, two of the guys, the fed say LaBarge paid to vandalize our houses, they've struggled with substance use disorder. I'm not entirely sure where the case goes from here. There's some language in the indictment that says, the vandalism conspiracy involves quote, others known and unknown to the grand jury. It's not clear who they mean, or if anyone else will be arrested.

But if anything big happens, we'll be back. The 13th Step is reported and produced by me, Lauren Chuljian, mixing production and additional reporting by Jason Moon, who also wrote the music you hear in the show. Editing from Senior Editor Katie Culinary, NHPR's News Director, Dan Barich, and Allison McAddom. Sarah Plore created our artwork and the website 13thStepPodcast.org. Sigmund Schutz is our lawyer. NHPR's director of podcasts is Rebecca LaVoy.

The 13th step is a production of the document team at New Hampshire Public Radio.