Trail of Stolen Cigarettes Leads to Federal Conspiracy Charge in Armed Hinsdale Store Robbery (DOJ)

Trail of Stolen Cigarettes Leads to Federal Conspiracy Charge in Armed Hinsdale Store Robbery

CONCORD - A New Hampshire federal grand jury has indicted two men on a charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, capping an investigation that began when stolen cigarettes spilled from a fleeing U-Haul, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today.

Richard Conner, 64, of Greenfield, MA, and James Ferguson, 66, of Worcester, MA, are each charged one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery - Hobbs Act conspiracy - in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951.

According to the charging documents, on the night of March 15, 2026, at approximately 10:40 p.m., the two defendants, both masked, entered the T-Bird Mini Mart on Brattleboro Road in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. One of the men allegedly brandished a firearm at store employees while the pair stole merchandise, including cigarettes, from the store. The defendants then allegedly fled the scene in a stolen U-Haul box truck, traveling south on Interstate 91 into Vermont. As they fled, some of the stolen cigarettes fell from the vehicle and helped investigators trace their route. The stolen U-Haul was discovered abandoned, and on fire, in Orange, Massachusetts. On June 12, 2026, the ATF, and partner law enforcement agencies, executed federal search warrants at locations in Massachusetts that were associated with the defendants and found cigarettes cartons with State of New Hampshire tax stamps. Some of the cartons were stored in cardboard boxes that had a sticker affixed to the side that indicated the box originated in Hinsdale, New Hampshire or was shipped to Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Some of the visual evidence of the allegations included in the complaint appears below.

Richard Conner and James Ferguson were arrested in Massachusetts without incident. James Ferguson will make his initial appearance in District of New Hampshire federal court on June 22, 2026, while Richard Conner will make his initial appearance on June 24, 2026.

The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New Hampshire Violent Crime Task Force, with substantial assistance from, the Manchester Police Department, the Hinsdale Police Department, the Keene Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, the Vermont State Police, the Greenfield Police Department, the Worcester Police Department, the Northampton Police Department, the Orange Police Department, United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Massachusetts, Franklin County Probation, the Brattleboro Police Department, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office, Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, and the Worcester County District Attorney's Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles DeJoie, paralegal specialist Hayley Orlando, and legal assistant Emily Morneau are prosecuting the case.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

Indictment

Complaint