Laconia man charged with heroin possession, deadly weapon

LACONIA — A local man who was free on personal recognizance bail after being indicted in July for sales of heroin was arrested again Monday and charged with possession of heroin.

Frederick Sanborn, 32, of 11 Kentfield Court is also charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a deadly weapon and violating the terms of his bail.

Sanborn was already scheduled to appear in the Belknap County Superior Court on Thursday for a bail revocation hearing. According to paperwork filed with the court, as a condition of his first arrest, he was ordered to report regularly to Belknap County Restorative Justice but had allegedly failed to do so.

As to his arrest Tuesday, police affidavits said an officer was called to 342 Union Ave. #3 for a report of a disturbance. When the officer arrived, he said he heard two women and a man arguing.

He said the arguments seem to be getting physical and he and a second officer made contact with people, one of whom was Sanborn.

Once inside, he said Sanborn was in the kitchen, and to the officer it appeared Sanborn was trying to hide from him. He said he told Sanborn to leave the kitchen and go into the living room.

Sanborn was carrying a black and lime green backpack, which the officer said was open and in which he saw a 12- to 24-inch sword or machete. The officer said he took the backpack for his own safety and learned from his supervisor that Sanborn is a convicted felon.

Once at the police station, the officer noticed Sanborn was making furtive movements toward his groin area. The officer conducted a booking search and found a black pouch on the inner side of his leg. The bag was seized and police found needles and a small plastic bag containing a brown substance. Sanborn allegedly volunteered that the substance was heroin and that he has an opiate problem.

When the officer said he would be applying for a warrant to search the backpack, Sanborn told him to go ahead because he would only find needles, a scale and a machete.

Nevertheless, police applied for a warrant and allegedly found the machete, the scale, and a spoon bent in a manner that is consistent with drug use.

In court Tuesday afternoon, Sanborn argued through his attorney that the machete was never used in a threatening manner and that there was nothing in the affidavits that indicates it was.

Sanborn was ordered held on $10,000 cash or corporate surety.