Sanbornville dad indicted in witness tampering case

Craig Czepyha (Milton Police photos)

Roman Czepyha

DOVER, N.H. – A Sanbornville, N.H., dad has been indicted on witness tampering charges in connection with a melee involving his son at a downtown Milton apartment in February.
Craig Czepyha, 53, of Sanbornville, is charged with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly telling participants in the fracas to give false information to Milton Police who were investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, Roman Czepyha, 28, of 559 White Mountain Hwy., was indicted in May on two felony charges – second degree assault and criminal solicitation – both punishable by three and a half to seven years in state prison.
On Feb. 20 police were called for a dispute at 559 White Mountain Hwy. where they found two victims injured trying to stop a knife fight.
As a result of that incident Roman Czepyha was charged with second-degree assault.
One of the two people trying to stop the fight, a male, was cut on the forearm, while a female received bumps and bruises. Both were transported to and later released from Frisbie Memorial Hospital.
Police say the fracas erupted when Roman Czepyha got into an argument with housemate Matthew Shattuck, 19, over a chess game.
Shattuck was charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol and disorderly conduct.
According to Milton Police, as the pair were arguing Czepyha grabbed a large kitchen knife, whereupon Shattuck drew a small folding knife from his pocket, provoking onlookers to jump in to stop any altercation.
Roman Czepyha was later charged with criminal solicitation for allegedly phoning his father, Craig Czepyha, from jail and telling him to blackmail witnesses into giving Milton Police false information.
Craig Czepyha’s two witness tampering charges could draw three and a half to seven year prison terms apiece.
The Strafford County June indictments were released today.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to move forward with a trial.