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Phony U.S. marshal strikes plea deal
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By MELANIE PLENDA
Union Leader Correspondent
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
KEENE – John P. Baldasaro won't need his fake U.S. marshal's badge for the next six to 12 years.
The man who conned two area businessmen out of more than $10,000 by claiming to be a marshal on a counterfeit sting pleaded guilty to two felony counts of theft by deception. Baldasaro, 46, was sentenced to six to 12 years in New Hampshire State Prison in Cheshire County Superior Court on Thursday morning.
However, he still faces charges in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and with the U.S. Marshal's Office, said Assistant Cheshire County Attorney Keith Clouatre.
Defense attorney Michael Hulser said Baldasaro took the plea rather than risk getting a possible 63-year sentence if found guilty on all charges at trial. Hulser said when Baldasaro committed the caper, he had just finished a lengthy prison stint for kidnapping and was on parole.
BALDASARO
As part of the plea agreement, two felony kidnapping charges and a felony robbery charge associated with the con were dropped.
On May 11, Baldasaro went into the Khyber Convenience Store in Chesterfield, flashed a badge and showed a holstered gun, and told the clerk he was investigating counterfeit money in the area. The clerk then took him next door to Kyber owner Fayyaz Awan's home. He convinced Awan to give him all the money from the business that he kept in the house after holding up a $20 bill claiming it was counterfeit. It was about that time Paul Saba, owner of the store Big Deal stopped by. Baldasaro told him, he too was under investigation and would have to turn over his money, which he did, Clouatre said.
Baldasaro then convinced Awan to take him to his bank and give him all of that money as well. It was only after a bank clerk noticed Awan wasn't "his usual jovial self" and seemed nervous police were called, Clouatre said.
"At first Mr. Awan and Mr. Saba were reluctant to cooperate with local authorities believing that they were really being investigated by the U.S. Marshal's Office," Clouatre said.
Baldasaro was eventually arrested in upstate New York once the real U.S. marshals got involved. As the investigation progressed, police discovered his car had been stolen from Maine. His government license plates had also been stolen. Clouatre said the U.S. Marshal's Office will likely also pursue charges for impersonating an officer.
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YOUR COMMENTS
I half understand the guys giving up all their cash, but to then go to a bank to get money, i don't understand.
- Art, Portsmouth
hes doing a 6-12 this state has truth in sentencing so there is no good time, if he does good, hell be eligible for parole in 6 ys min. as for the new prison....its a federal prison, not state, the state just closed down a prison in laconia, so its now even more overcrowded. and there is never plenty of openings...they always make room or should i say weld more beds...i love comments from ppl that are so ignorant
- Alan C, Manchester
why would they put him in a state prison, wouldn't this be federal charges for impersonating a us marshal? you would think they would put him in a federal prison
- tom adkins, newport,nh
The plea deal saves the prosecution time and taxpayer expense of a trial. Done right, that's a good thing.
- Ricardo, Manch
No Jack,
Plea deals are often used to save our tax money (via saving law enforcement officials time) in investigations, prosecution, and incarceration. If prosecutors like an offender, and think he’s lo risk to re-offend, they’ll cut [corners] out the need to go to trial and drop some charges to get a quick guilty plea. I’ve heard con men are generally very likable.
They’ll pull some people out of triple stacked cells in Texas and have the new prison full in no time. No need to fill ‘em up with imbecile con men and pot smokers from Keene.
Speaking of the new Prison, I hope they don't waste money buying beds for it. you can quadruple stack a cell if the beds don't take up so much space. Just cover a wall in velcro and give each inmate straps of velcro to wrap around themselves. If they don't like sleeping on the floor, they can hang themselves on the wall to sleep. Think of how much money NH can earn housing Obama's right wing nut job political prisoners that way.
- Jim, Manchester
If the state was serious, they would try these cases, instead of giving these creeps a deal. When was the last time you saw a crook/rapist/violent offender go to trial and get the max? The last one I remember is Michael Addison, for killing Ofc. Briggs. The other jurisdictions will, probably, give him deals, that will be served concurrently (same time as this one), so they can say 'justice was served' and it won't cost them anything to house him. This load will be on the street, on parole, in less than three years. You really think his victims will see a dime from him, in 'restitution'? In most cases, felons get until 12/31/2999 to pay restitution. No joke; check public records. Yeah, we're tough on crime...
- Phil, Concord
Agreed about the plea deal, it makes no sense.
However he is still facing time and charges in other states. He will pay for his crime, we need the U.L. to continue to follow whhat the others are doing.
- Robert, Manchester
Why is this imbecile getting a plea deal? I thought plea deals were only used when the law needed to flip one to get another of greater significance. This bonehead is just a typical loser, he'll be out in 3-6 on good behavior, and I predict in 3 1/2 will be concocting another scheme, FBI, IRS, or maybe next time he will realize he screwed up his investigation of the money supply is handled by the Secret Service. The new prison is shaping up and theres plenty of openings errr.....beds, no waiting.
- Jack Alex, Manchester
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