Farmington man gets 4- to 8-year sentence for drug, theft and weapons charges

Michael J. Demeritt (U.S. Marshall's photo)

DOVER - A Farmington man who tried to walk away with a Home Depot snowblower in November 2021 will spend 8 to 16 years behind bars following his guilty plea on Tuesday.
The deal made between prosecutors and the defense representing Michael J. Demeritt, 43, formerly of 10 Rod Road, Farmington, allows for two four- to eight-year sentences that will run consecutively. The snowblower theft charge was combined with a drug possession offense for one of the sentences, while the second 4- to 8-year prison stint is in connection with a theft of items from a Dover storage unit and a felon in possession charge.
The snowblower theft was reported to police on Nov. 13, 2021, by a Twombly Street resident who confronted two men he saw walking away from Home Depot with a Cub Cadet snowblower. Once confronted the two man began walking away in different directions, according to a Rochester Police affidavit.
Rochester officers dispatched to the scene quickly found Demeritt and the other man, resulting in Class A felony charges since the price of the snowblower was listed at more than $1,500.
The storage unit thefts occurred on July 25 of last year in Dover at the Storage Barn on Sixth Street, where Demeritt and an accomplice broke into a random storage unit and stole items including two Fuji bikes, a 3D printer, televisions, a sound bar, other electronics and video games totaling more than $20,000 in value.
Demeritt can get two years shaved off his second four- to eight-year sentence on the snowblower and drug charges if he completes a drug education course.
Other past felony convictions include drug possession in October 2007 in Coos Superior Court, first-degree assault in August 2003 in Strafford Superior Court, felon in possession in August 2004 in Strafford Superior Court and burglary in January 2013.

DUI saturation patrols in and around Rochester and Barrington in August resulted in the arrest ofDemeritt on Highland Street in Rochester Demeritt and another man who had $10,000 worth of fentanyl in their possession.

During a roadside investigation, troopers observed Demeritt's accomplice throw a bag suspected of containing illicit drugs toward a wooded area that was adjacent to the location of the traffic stop.

After troopers detained Demeritt and his associated, they radioed for assistance of the New Hampshire State Police K9 Unit in locating the suspected discarded contraband. In response to this request, Trooper Nathan Sleight and his K9 partner "Kaiser" responded to the scene and located the bag in a grassy area near a tree line, according to a State Police statement.
Upon recovering the bag, troopers determined it contained around one-hundred grams of suspected fentanyl having an estimated street value of $10,000.
Demeritt was charged with transportation of controlled drugs and control of a premises/vehicle where controlled drugs are kept.