New Hampshire school bus driver charged with threatening, stalking 8-year-old and family

GREENLAND — An Eliot, Maine, man, who worked as a school bus driver for First Student, is facing federal charges alleging he threatened and stalked an 8-year-old child attending Greenland Central School in New Hampshire.

Michael Chick, 39, is facing federal interstate stalking charges, alleging he crossed state lines to threaten a child and the child’s family, according to Jane Young, U.S. attorney for New Hampshire.

Court documents allege Chick had given the boy TracFones with instructions to take inappropriate photographs of himself, placed GPS tracking devices on his parents’ vehicles to track if they went to police, and made multiple visits to the family's home at night. When Greenland police investigated, they found the trackers still active, exactly where Chick told police they were located, according to authorities.

Prosecutor: Bus driver gave detailed threats against family, asked boy for photos

The boy told investigators Chick used a story about a group of criminals he called "The Team" who would kill his family, kidnap him and torture him if he did not comply with their demands, which included taking photographs and videos of himself.

Footage and audio taken inside the bus shows conversations between the boy and Chick, instructing the boy to hide the phone, lie about where he got it, and take the phone into the bathroom with him at school to take photos of himself, according to court documents.

During the investigation, Chick admitted to threatening the Greenland boy during their conversations on the bus, giving him three different TracFones, putting a printed threatening note on his lap on the bus and asking the boy to read it, having photos of the Greenland boy in public settings, and placing trackers.

During a search of Chick’s car, investigators said they located a TracFone, a digital camera, duct tape, rubber gloves, sweet (candy) liquor, candy, children’s clothing (including underwear), children’s toys, a magnetic GPS vehicle tracker along with his cell phone. Similar items were found in his room where he lived. At Chick’s residence, surveillance cameras, TracFones, large plastic bags of children’s underwear, and other evidence was found, authorities allege.

Notes written on school bus student permission slips that read “$1,000 per week is what is keeping your family alive and together” were also found, corresponding with conversations caught on the bus’s audio and video system. A series of other threatening notes were also found, threatening things like “or the kid disappears” and instructions on how to take inappropriate selfies, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

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Court documents allege Chick had been giving the boy and his sister gifts regularly on the bus, which started out as candy or Pokemon merchandise, and later led to the phones.

Bus driver was reassigned to a new route after Greenland parents reported him

Court documents describe that the boy's parents started to become suspicious because of Chick's obsession with the boy, even asking to attend his youth baseball game. The parents of the children told investigators their children had been asked by Chick where they leave a house key.

The parents first reported Chick to the school district and police in April, and again in May, when a Greenland police officer instructed Chick not to contact the family.  Even after Chick was reassigned bus routes, the contact between him and the boy continued, according to court documents. 

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In July, the family reported Chick to the police again, after finding two TracFone cell phones in a Pokemon lunch box in the boy’s room. The parents told investigators that their son admitted they were given as gifts by Chick after his last encounter with police. 

Parents told prosecutors that they feared for their family’s safety.

Jay Brock, a First Student spokesperson, said the company takes charges very seriously.

"Behavior such as this is completely unacceptable and at odds with what we stand for as a company,"  Brock said. "First Student no longer employs the driver. We are cooperating with the authorities."

Brock said he could not comment further because it is an open investigation.

Water Country photos alleged; suspect alone with 4-year old

In August, Portsmouth police advised Greenland police a complaint was filed in July, when a vehicle, registered to Chick, was parked along the road taking photos of kids in Water County water park with a cell phone. The vehicle left before police arrived, and no charges were filed in relation to the incident. 

During an interview with Chick’s mother, who he lived with, police learned Chick had stayed alone with a friend’s 4-year-old son in the Ramada Inn in Kittery, Maine, from July 31 to Aug. 2. Police said they verified Chick’s stay with the hotel. During the investigation, Chick admitted to taking videos of his friend’s 4-year-old son in a hotel bathroom but claimed he did not watch them. It is unclear if any charges will be made relating to this incident.

According to state court documents there is an active case against Chick, which was a request for a protective order for civil stalking filed this month.

Hotline set for parents to report

Young said Tuesday the investigation is still in the early stages, and it is possible additional charges may be added against Chick.

Young said a hotline has been set up to allow parents to report any additional incidents involving Chick. Those with any information are asked to call 603-722-1751, according to Young.

"It is paramount that we protect the most vulnerable, which in this case is a child,” Young said. 

When asked if investigators believe there are more victims or if Chick was working alone, Young said that it is unknown at this time but wanted to give families an avenue to report new information.

“We are trying to determine the scope of conduct in this case,” Young said. “We are here to provide whatever resources we can to bring in additional assets … We don't know if there is, but we want to be prepared to the extent that if there is at least one other child, we want to know."

District responds to situation

Steve Zadravec, superintendent of SAU 50, which oversees schools in Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye, said the district is cooperating with the U.S. attorney’s office and local law enforcement.

“This driver drove routes in both Greenland and Rye. This individual is no longer a bus driver for First Student,” Zadravec said in a statement. “This charge is deeply concerning, and we will continue to work with the Police Departments and our bus company on steps to ensure the safety of our students. This will include a thorough review of all practices, policies, and protocols to ensure student safety.”

The principal of the school released an email to parents Tuesday, with guidance for parents on how to talk to their children in situations like this, Young stated.

What's next in the case?

Chick had an initial appearance hearing in federal district court Monday afternoon, and he will be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Aug. 18. Chick is represented by Behzad Mirhashem, a federal public defender, who declined to comment.