Gilmanton woman arrested for impersonating sheriff online

LACONIA — Megan Murphy, 26, of Gilmanton, was arrested Friday for submitting a form, pretending to be from Belknap County Sheriff Bill Wright, through the New Beginnings Without Violence and Abuse website. The police are charging Murphy with criminal defamation.

“We conducted an investigation regarding the electronic communication sent to New Beginnings that was purported to have been written and sent by Belknap County Sheriff Bill Wright, sent Nov. 30, timestamped 5:49 a.m.,” explained Laconia Police Chief Matthew Canfield.

“Our detectives were able to search for the IP address and confirm where it came from, which led to a separate interview, which identified the author and sender of the communication.”

The letter admonished the organization for “not supporting” Wright in his reelection campaign, and as a result would lose access to sheriff's office resources. The letter read as follows:

“After reviewing the needs of the county during budgeting I have made the decision to deny your agency access to the facilities at the Sheriff’s Office. It is clear that I never had your agency’s support in my reelection campaign. Over the years I have found that your agency is ineffective and not needed in the county. Domestic violence is not a concern in our county in comparison to the rates of drug use, crime and amount of homeless people. Meeting rooms and the attendance of deputies will no longer be available to you, please plan accordingly.”

Wright publicly denounced the message on Facebook shortly after it was brought to his attention by New Beginnings. Wright stated he believed the message to be a “political ploy” and at the time, called the action “completely uncalled for.”