MANCHESTER, NH – A former Melrose, Mass., police officer has been charged with taking a Chevy Silverado from a local car dealership earlier this week, after flashing his badge.
Derek Guthro, 46, of Nashua, was charged on Dec. 22 with one count of theft by unauthorized taking (felony) and one count of false impersonation (a class B felony) after he was identified and arrested in connection to the incident, as follows:
On December 19 it was reported to Manchester Police that a man identifying himself as a State Trooper and wearing a Massachusetts State Police windbreaker, entered Team Nissan of Manchester, 70 Keller St., and took a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew cab pickup truck for a drive. The man did not return, and multiple media broadcasts were sent out requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.
Manchester Police Department’s Traffic Investigator Officer John McInerney was assigned to the case. Officer McInerney was contacted by Melrose Mass. Police Department, specifically by several sworn officers who identified the man as former Melrose Police Officer Derek Guthro. After learning the identity of the suspect, Officer McInerney was contacted by Massachusetts State Police with a last known address of 31 Concord St., Nashua.
Nashua Police located the stolen Silverado in the parking lot at Margarita’s in Nashua, just a short distance from the Concord Street address. They then located Guthro at 31 Concord St. and he was taken into custody a short time later. Manchester Police picked up Guthro from Nashua and he was processed at Manchester police headquarters without incident.
Guthro was released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail and is due to be arraigned in the 9th Circuit Court Manchester on January 20, 2017.
