By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — A Blueberry Ridge Road resident observed a suspicious person walking through a neighbor’s yard on Tuesday, and notified the Newport Police Department, who subsequently arrested three Vermont men at a nearby residence for felony burglary charges.
According to a release by the Newport Police Department, Kenneth Hodge, 40 of Thetford, Vermont, was charged with one felony count of Burglary, and one felony count of Possession of Controlled Drugs.
Zebulon Jenks, 40, of Vershire, Vermont, was charged with an outstanding arrest warrant for assault out of Orford, N.H., and one felony count of Possession of Controlled Drugs.
Mark Sutton, 25, of Waterbury, Vermont, was charged with multiple outstanding arrest warrants in both Vermont and New Hampshire, including one from Essex, Vermont, in which it is alleged that he struck and dragged a police officer with a motor vehicle while evading arrest.
According to Newport Police Chief Alex Lee, police responded to the area of Blueberry Ridge Road and Greenwood Road after receiving a call from the resident about suspicious activity. Officers spoke with witnesses and canvassed the area, and discovered that a nearby property was burglarized. They also found that the suspect could be inside 40 Blueberry Ridge Road.
Officers surrounded the residence and made contact with five people inside, but only the three listed were arrested as there were no criminal charges on the other two. A search warrant was obtained for the residence, and controlled drugs and a firearm described by Lee as a “long gun” was found.
“There were drugs found on the persons charged with the drug offenses,” Lee explained. “There were also drugs in the residence, as well.”
Lee said that the suspected drugs were a white powder that was for “personal use,” and that it amounted to a couple grams. He suspected that it could be fentanyl or methamphetamine, but could not confirm.
“It’s actually really hard to tell these days without a lab test,” Lee said. “Because fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine can all look similar. Powdery or crystalline substances could be fentanyl or methamphetamine, or a combination.”
Lee said the three suspects were arrested without incident. Hodge and Jenks were released on bail, while Sutton was held without bail, all pending appearance in the 5th Circuit Court – District Division – Newport. Sutton was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon, while Hodge and Jenks are to be arraigned at a later date in January. Sutton will also need to be extradited back to Vermont, according to Lee.
The release noted that as a result, the N.H. Department of Corrections revoked the approval for the imminent release of a parolee from the N.H. State Prison to the residence.
The Newport Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the Essex Police Department (Vermont) and the South Royalton Police Department (Vermont). The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Newport Police Officer Walter J. Anderson at 603-863-3232 or [email protected].
