A 77-year-old man facing felony charges of stealing money from the American Legion in Lebanon has pleaded not guilty.
Peter St. Pierre, of West Lebanon, was indicted by a Grafton County Grand Jury in October on two felony counts of theft by unauthorized taking of property from the American Legion Post 22 at 189 Mechanic St. in Lebanon.
The alleged crimes occurred in January and April 2024, according to the indictments.
One indictment, categorized as a class B felony, alleges that St. Pierre stole between $1,000 and $1,500 from the veterans organization.
The second indictment, a class A felony, alleges that he stole over $1,500.
Theft of property worth more than $1,000 but not more than $1,500 is a class B felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Theft of more than $1,500 is a class A felony punishable by up to 15 years.
In waiving his arraignment a few days ahead of its scheduled date in Grafton Superior Court this week, St. Pierre entered not guilty pleas to both felony counts.
Judge Lawrence MacLeod granted his release on personal recognizance with conditions forbidding him from coming into contact, direct or indirect, with members of the American Legion Post 22 and from visiting the organization’s Lebanon address.
The bail order also prohibits him from traveling outside of New Hampshire or Vermont and from excessive use of alcohol or drugs.
The Valley News previously identified a Peter St. Pierre as club manager of Post 22.
Efforts to reach St. Pierre, his attorney Jason Novak of the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office and the prosecutor, Sumner Camp-Martin of the Grafton County Attorney’s Office, were unsuccessful.
Court documents show that the Lebanon Police Department is the agency involved in the case. The Valley News was unable to reach Lebanon Police Chief Phillip Roberts.
St. Pierre is scheduled for a dispositional conference in Grafton Superior Court on Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m.
