BY TIMOTHY LAROCHE
NEWPORT — A former Claremont police officer accused of lying to justify an allegedly illegal search pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday.
Ian Kibbe, 30, waived his arraignment on Monday in Sullivan County Superior Court. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit perjury, attempted perjury, two counts of unsworn falsification and two counts of obstructing government administration.
Kibbe was arrested last month following an investigation from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office into his conduct during a late-February search. Court documents state that he allegedly illegally searched the home of Christopher Ratcliffe, a convicted felon who had violated a restraining order. Although his search turned up several weapons in the home, he failed to seek a restraining order, instead allegedly falsifying his affidavit to state that the weapons were found in plain view.
Mark Burch, another former officer who allegedly helped in the search, told investigators that Kibbe, his shift supervisor, instructed him to lie about the search as well. No charges have been filed yet against Burch.
Police Chief Mark Chase reported the alleged incident to investigators on March 15 following an internal investigation. Although he could not comment on personnel matters, he said that both officers are “no longer employed” by the department and had not reported to a shift since shortly after the investigation began.
Although Ratcliffe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for violating or probation, four charges possibly carrying several years in prison each for possessing weapons as a felon have been dropped due to the allegedly tainted evidence. He instead faces a one-year suspended sentence in the Sullivan County House of Corrections conditioned upon good behavior.
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