Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that on September 26, 2022, the Cheshire County Superior Court Grand Jury indicted former Richmond Police Department Officer-in-Charge and Hancock Police Chief Andrew Wood, age 53, of Fitzwilliam on one class A felony count of theft by unauthorized taking and one class A felony count of theft by deception.

The theft by unauthorized taking indictment alleges that between January 5, 2017, and June 27, 2019, Mr. Wood, pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, with a purpose that the crime of theft by unauthorized taking, a crime as defined in RSA 637:3 be committed, obtained control over money belonging to the Town of Richmond, in an aggregated amount of more than $1,500.00, by unauthorized taking and with a purpose to deprive the Town of Richmond thereof, by submitting weekly Town of Richmond worksheets that contained hours of work not performed.

The theft by deception indictment alleges that between January 5, 2017, and June 27, 2019, Mr. Wood, with a purpose that the crime of theft by deception, a crime as defined in RSA 637:4, be committed, obtained control over money belonging to the Town of Richmond, in an aggregated amount of more than $1,500.00, by deception and with a purpose to deprive the Town of Richmond thereof, by submitting Town of Richmond weekly worksheets that contained hours of work not performed, when Andrew Wood knew, that he did not perform the work as submitted on the weekly worksheets.

A class A felony is punishable by a 7½ to 15-year state prison sentence and a $4,000 fine.

Mr. Wood will be arraigned at the Cheshire County Superior Court on the indictments on October 22, 2022.

The indictments and allegations against Mr. Wood are merely accusations, and Mr. Wood is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dan Jimenez and Attorney Joe Fincham, both of the New Hampshire Department of Justice's Public Integrity Unit. This case was investigated by Investigator Stephen Johnson of the New Hampshire Department of Justice. The Public Integrity Unit prosecutes allegations of criminal conduct committed by state officials, judicial officers, and law enforcement agents in the State of New Hampshire.