Lakes Region Felon Faces More Charges After Being Accused Of Threatening Concord Cops With A Gun: Follow-Up

CONCORD, NH — A Lakes Region felon, who led police, as well as New Hampshire State Police, on a manhunt in late August, after being accused of pointing a gun at Concord police officers, is facing new charges after his initial arrest by troopers.

Bruce Allan Sanborn Jr., 54, of Center Harbor or Plymouth, was arrested by Concord police on Sept. 11 and charged with reckless conduct, criminal threatening, armed career criminal, felonious use of firearms, driving after revocation or suspension, obstructing government administration, criminal threatening-domestic violence, convicted felons-possession of a deadly weapon, and two counts of violation of a protective order-domestic violence.

Just after 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, a Concord police officer stopped a vehicle on the northbound side of Interstate 93 near Mile Marker 39.2. An officer in the field asked for the exact location of the stop, and the first officer replied they had stopped just before Exit 16. The driver was a woman in her late 30s without identification.

Dispatch asked if there was a passenger in the vehicle who was a man, since the driver was a protected party. The officer confirmed there was a man in the vehicle. Sanborn was accused of providing a name and a birthdate, suggesting he was in his early 60s, according to scanner chatter. Dispatch, however, said the name was not appearing in the system.

Also Read

• Transient Lakes Region Felon Faces Charges After Gun Threat Incident Against Concord Cops At I-93 Stop

During the investigation, suspecting the man was Sanborn, an officer matched a tattoo on his neck and confirmed the woman was a protected party. Sanborn was then accused of pointing a revolver at police and fleeing the scene.

About two and a half hours later, Sanborn was arrested at the Circle K Irving in Bow by state police.

News 603 posted a video on Facebook.

Concord police conducted more interviews, issued search warrants, and collected evidence connected to the case, a warrant was issued against Sanborn on the 10 charges. He was arrested on Sept. 11 and held on preventative detention. Sanborn was arraigned on Friday in Concord District Court.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and New Hampshire State Police and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the process for requesting the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

New Hampshire State Police Charges

New Hampshire State Police charged Sanborn with felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, taking a gun from a law enforcement officer-attempt, resisting arrest or detention, forgery of a government instruction, check, etc., and theft by deception-less than $1,000 charges.

According to an affidavit, state police were informed about the incident in Concord and began searching for the vehicle Sanborn was accused of fleeing in — a blue Subaru Legacy with New Hampshire registration. A trooper searched Interstate 93 north of where the traffic stop took place, but was unable to find the vehicle.

At just before 1 a.m. on Aug. 28, the trooper was on Route 3A when they saw a blue Subaru parked at the gas pump at the Bow Irving Circle K. The trooper turned around to check if the Legacy had any damage, including a broken rear taillight, and confirmed it did, according to an affidavit. The vehicle registration also matched the vehicle, the report said.

The trooper deployed their rifle and checked the Subaru to see if it was occupied, but it was not. They took cover behind the trooper cruiser and looked inside the store to see if the suspect was inside.

“Shortly thereafter,” the trooper said, “a white male exited the Circle K and walked straight for the vehicle. I approached and announced myself as state police and ordered the male to stop.”

The trooper said the man had his hands in his pockets and refused to remove them when ordered to, the report said. The man then reached for the front door handle of the vehicle, and the trooper pushed him away with the rifle, grabbed him, lifted him, and directed him to the ground, the report said.

“While on the ground, my rifle ended up underneath the male and I yelled at him to ‘Let go of my gun!’ as I saw his hand around the pistol grip of my rifle with his finger on the trigger,” the trooper wrote. “I was able to get the rifle away from the male and (threw) it to the side.”

The trooper attempted to cuff him, but the suspect, identified later as Sanborn, was accused of resisting. A Concord officer arrived and assisted in getting Sanborn into handcuffs, the report stated, and the trooper recovered his rifle. While cuffed, a second Concord officer “pulled a revolver out of the right pocket of his shorts, the same pocket he refused to remove his band from when ordered to earlier,” the trooper wrote.

According to an affidavit, inside a bag of Sanborn’s belongings was “a wad” of cash.

After being taken to the county jail, a corrections officer brought over more bills that appeared to be fake, the report said. The trooper eyed the money and agreed, saying, “They felt unlike normal dollar bills.” Written on the money were the words “MOVIE PROP USE ONLY,” the affidavit said. There were nine $50 bills and three $20 bills, all counterfeit, the report said.

Sanborn, the trooper said, “unprompted,” admitted the cash was fake, adding he did not want the trooper to think he was trying to pass it off. A second trooper also accused Sanborn of making a purchase at the Irving.

The first trooper went to the store the next day and spoke with an employee, who confirmed Sanborn had used a $20 bill to purchase gas, the report stated. The trooper reviewed the security video from the store and observed the sale and exchange, according to the affidavit.

Prior Criminal Activity

According to superior court records, Sanborn’s criminal history dates back more than 18 years, when he was accused of theft, receiving stolen property, mischief, and unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle or animal in New Hampton. In November 2008, he pleaded guilty to all charges except the two related to stolen property. Those charges were nolle prossed. In October 2009, Sanborn was accused of a probation violation and failed to appear. He had a hearing in June 2010, and a court order requesting pretrial confinement credit was denied.

Sanborn was charged with felon in possession of a dangerous weapon in Gilford after an incident in May 2012. About seven months later, the charge was nolle prossed.

In March 2014, he was arrested on controlled drug act and theft charges in Gilford. He pleaded guilty to both charges four months later and received a 12-month sentence and a one-to-three-year sentence to be served consecutively, along with three days of time served credit and $1,101.50 in fines and restitution fees, which were suspended for five years. In December 2014, he was given work release.

In Manchester in March 2015, Sanborn was charged with acts prohibited. The case went to a jury and he was found guilty four months later. Sanborn was sentenced to one to five years in prison and fined $620. In September 2015, he appealed the conviction to the New Hampshire Supreme Court but four months later, the appeal was withdrawn. Sanborn, in April 2016, requested a new trial, but it was denied. Four months later, he was given work release.

In August 2024, Sanborn was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a controlled drug, and cocaine sale charges after an incident in Moultonborough. As part of a plea deal, one drug possession and the drug sale charges were nolle prossed. Sanborn was sentenced to 12 months in jail and a $1,240 fine, all suspended for two years, and a $500 fine, and a revoked license for nine months.

In July, the U.S.P.S. requested documents from the criminal case and eight days before the gun threat incident, the Carroll County Attorney’s Office filed a motion to impose the suspended sentence in the Moultonborough case. A day after the gun threat incident, a violation of probation charge was filed against Sanborn.

The motion to impose sentence and evidentiary hearings are booked for Oct. 6.

The Bow-New Hampshire State Police case was boundover from Concord District Court to Merrimack County Superior Court on Sept. 8. Sanborn is due back in superior court on a dispositional conference hearing on Nov. 20.

Concord Regional Crimeline Info

Anyone with relevant information regarding the incident was asked to contact Det. Shaughnessy at the Concord Police Department at 603) 225-8600. Anyone who has information relative to this incident and wishes to remain anonymous was asked to call the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100, or submit information online through the Crimeline website at: concordregionalcrimeline.com, or text message TIP234 and your message to CRIMES (274637). Crimeline awards cash to anyone whose information leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals. All tips remain anonymous.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 190 communities. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.