Rochester man, 25, faces stiff prison sentence on assault, threat charges

Ryan Charles (Rochester Police photo)

DOVER - A 25-year-old Rochester man is facing a stiff prison sentence after his recent indictment on assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threatening charges.
Ryan Charles, of Chamberlain Street, Rochester, was formally charged by a Strafford County grand jury with three Class B felonies, including criminal threatening with a deadly weapon and second degree assault with a deadly weapon and bodily injury.
The charging documents say that on June 9 in Rochester Charles "placed or attempted to place (the victim), an intimate partner, in fear of imminent bodily injury or physical contact by lunging at (the victim) with a knife in his hand."
The threat charge alleges that Charles placed (the victim) in fear of imminent bodily injury or physical contact by displaying a knife and uttering, "I'll slit your ----ing throat or words to that effect."
All three charges carry sentences of anywhere from three and a half to seven years apiece.
The September Strafford County grand jury indictments were handed down on Sept. 19 and released on Wednesday.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt, rather that enough evidence has been presented to a grand jury to warrant moving forward to trial.