New Hampton Selectboard chair's house raided, son captured as fugitive

NEW HAMPTON — A police raid at the home of selectboard Chair Michael Drake last month targeted his 34-year-old son, Thomas Drake, wanted as a fugitive.

Thomas Drake is facing felony drug charges, including possession and intent to sell fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

The raid was led by the Belknap Regional Special Operations Group, under the command of Alton Police Chief Adam Painchaud.

“Mr. Drake was taken into custody without incident and turned over to the New Hampton PD on scene,” Painchaud wrote.

After early information about the case indicated “Mr. Drake” referred to Michael Drake, according to New Hampton Police Sgt. Patrick Cremin, “The Mr. Drake Chief Painchaud references is not Michael Drake.”

The selectboard member continues to serve.

In response to a public records request, Cremin said, “The subject that was arrested is to my knowledge still incarcerated pending additional court proceedings. That may not be the most current information, but I know the subject that was arrested was in fact arrested on several felony warrants out of multiple jurisdictions.”

Cremin said the fugitive was captured without anyone being physically harmed, but withheld further details, saying the information “would interfere with enforcement proceedings and in this case, the underlying event that led to the activation of the operations group is still being investigated.” He also said, “the release of the documents could directly impact the fairness and impartial adjudication” in the case, and their disclosure “would impact investigative techniques and procedures.”

Deputies of Belknap County Sheriff Bill Wright were also involved in the raid.

According to sheriff documents about the incident, including call logs, arrest reports, and police narratives, it began at 11:13 a.m. on April 16, when New Hampton asked for the Belknap Regional Special Operations Group “to execute a high-risk search and arrest warrant for Thomas Drake."

That response included bringing in the Tactical Operations Command vehicle and an armored vehicle, with the team staging at the Gilford Police Department before heading to the residence at 59 Route 132.

By 2:46 p.m., Drake had surrendered, and New Hampton police booked him at 3:14 p.m., after which Deputy Sheriff Nathan Moss brought him to Belknap County jail.

The warrants for Drake’s arrest included two bench warrants from Belknap Superior Court for failure to appear on felony drug charges — possession with intent to sell fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine — and for a bail revocation hearing; as well as warrants from New Hampton and Tilton. Police then learned of another outstanding warrant from Manchester, alleging sale of more than 5 grams of fentanyl, two more drug possession charges, and charges of transporting drugs in a car, resisting arrest, falsifying evidence, and felony possession of a dangerous weapon.

The sheriff’s department received another arrest warrant from Belknap Superior Court on April 17, for failing to appear on charges of felony possession of brass knuckles, subsequent possession of crack cocaine and fentanyl, two counts of transporting drugs in a car, and two counts of keeping controlled drugs.

Drake first appeared in court on the charges from New Hampton on April 22, with an April 28 date for the Manchester case. Court dates on the Tilton charges are set for June 15, in the Sixth Circuit Court in Franklin.

Drake was not the only one charged. During the SWAT operation, Coreen Gagne, 26, of Gilmanton, tried to come into the house, telling Sgt. Douglas Trottier she needed to bring her son to see his father before police took him away. While running her license plate, Trottier learned Tilton police had a warrant out for Gagne’s capture on a criminal trespass charge. He issued a summons for her to appear in the Sixth Circuit Court, in Franklin, on June 16.