Fired Dover cop facing seven years in theft of evidence-room bound THC gummies

Fired Dover police officer Ronald Letendre, left, and his defense lawyer, Carl Swenson, watch surveillance video that shows Letendre and a Dover resident who said he mistakenly opened a box of THC-infused gummies on Sept. 16, 2016. (Rochester Voice photos

DOVER - Back in August of 2020 Dover's Police Chief announced that Dover Police Officer Ronald Letendre had been fired from the force after an internal investigation that followed a domestic violence incident at his home in Rollinsford.

The widely reported domestic violence incident of July 2020 ended with no charges being filed against Letendre or his wife, but the probe by Dover Police sparked by statements made by Sarah Letendres could land her ex in state prison up to seven years.

Prosecutors allege that then-Officer Letendre, 48, stole 18 THC-infused Jolly Rancher-type edibles that a Dover man had turned over to him on Sept. 16, 2016, after he realized he had opened the USPS package delivered to his home in error.

Ronald Letendre and his defense attorney Carl Swenson chat during a brief recess on Wednesday in Strafford County Superior Court.

The Dover man, who is not being identified by The Rochester Voice, said in court on Wednesday that when he got the package, he opened it up and found about three-five pounds of edibles inside that were marked THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that produces a high.

He said he called his lawyer to ask if he should take the edibles to the police station and was advised to call police and have them pick them up.

About 90 minutes later Letendre arrived and after a brief discussion he took the box of edibles and left.

The October 2020 indictment accuses Letendre of taking 18 of the roughly 36 Jolly Rancher-type edibles and removing them prior to storage in the evidence locker.

Opening statements on Wednesday revealed that while interviewing Sarah Letendre regarding Ronald Letendre's actions during the July 10, 2020, domestic violence incident, Dover Police were informed of a 2016 incident in which he brought some Jolly Rancher-type edibles home, at least one of which was eaten by Sarah Letendre, who confirmed the THC content.

The indictment, in part, reads that "believing that an official investigation is pending, he (Letendre) removed any thing with a purpose to impair its verity or availability in such investigation; in that Ronald Letendre did investigate the delivery of controlled drugs to (Dover address), and in the course of that investigation he did remove a portion of the seized controlled drugs before entering the seized controlled drugs into evidence at Dover Police Department."

Falsifying physical evidence is a Class B felony punishable by up to three and a half to seven years in state prison.

Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi said that during the three-day trial he would be producing photos taken by the Dover resident who opened the box that showed half the gummies were now missing. On Wednesday he also showed the jury security camera footage from the resident's home that show him and Letendre chatting about the box on Sept. 16, 2016.

In opening remarks by the defense, Att. Carl Swenson talked little about what Letendre is accused of in the indictment and more about the actual charge of falsifying physical evidence.

"The indictment says "with a purpose to impair its verity (truthfulness)," Swenson said. "They are saying he was sabotaging an investigation; what investigation? what sabotage?"

The falsifying physical evidence charge also alleges that Letendre's behavior was executed while "believing that an official investigation is pending," four years prior to when it was investigated.

Wednesday's witnesses included Sarah Letendre, who confirmed her former husband had brought the edibles home in 2016. She said the two were now divorced but were cooperating in co-parenting their two children.

The domestic violence incident that led to the evidence-tampering probe occurred on July 10 at the couple's Rollinsford home.

Sarah Letendre, then 35, was arrested by Rollinsford Police and charged with domestic violence assault, obstructing report of a crime and resisting arrest.

Soon after, however, she said on her Facebook page that it was her husband, a former MMA fighter, who attacked her breaking four of her ribs.

Rollinsford Police said Ronald Letendre suffered scratches to his chest and a torn shirt in the alleged assault.

About two weeks later Sarah Letendre filed her own Domestic Violence Petition accusing her husband of breaking her ribs when he "forcefully fell with his elbow into my left ribcage."

All charges against both were eventually dropped.

Ronald Letendre had been a police officer in Dover for 13 years.