Former Granite Recovery Centers CEO Arrested in Stalking Conspiracy Targeting Journalists

Eric Spofford, 40

Eric Spofford, the 40-year-old former CEO of Granite Recovery Centers, was arrested Friday on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a targeted stalking conspiracy against journalists from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The Department of Justice stated that Spofford was retaliating for an investigative report that detailed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him during his tenure as CEO of the state’s largest network of addiction treatment facilities.

Granite Recovery Centers, founded by Spofford after overcoming his own battle with heroin addiction, grew to become the leading addiction treatment provider in New Hampshire. The NHPR investigation, which garnered significant local and national attention, prompted Spofford to publicly deny the claims and file a defamation lawsuit against the station. He accused the media outlet of publishing a "hit piece" that damaged his reputation, alleging the fallout caused financial institutions to sever ties, vendors to withdraw from business, and political allies to distance themselves.

In court filings, Spofford claimed the reporting forced him to feel unsafe in his home state. His defamation lawsuit was dismissed by a New Hampshire judge in 2023.

Granite Recovery Centers

Federal authorities allege that beginning in March 2022, Spofford devised a campaign to harass and intimidate the NHPR journalist who authored the article, the journalist's family members, and a senior editor. He allegedly paid longtime friend Eric Labarge $20,000 in cash, providing him with victims' addresses and instructions to carry out the harassment.

Labarge, according to the indictment, vandalized the victims' homes using rocks and bricks, and spray-painted lewd and threatening messages, including “JUST THE BEGINNING” on the reporter’s property. Labarge then recruited Tucker Cockerline, Keenan Saniatan, and Michael Waselchuck to help execute the intimidation plan.

All four co-conspirators—Labarge, Cockerline, Saniatan, and Waselchuck—were charged, convicted, and sentenced to prison for their roles in the stalking campaign.

Spofford, who previously claimed to have sold Granite Recovery Centers in 2021 for a nine-figure sum, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday.

In response to the arrest, NHPR President and CEO Jim Schachter expressed gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their pursuit of justice, stating that attacks on journalists are incompatible with democratic values and that efforts to silence investigative reporting must not succeed.