A Concord man who sent out a hoax email claiming the Republican candidate had dropped out of an upcoming election will face felony charges.
Carl Gibson, 28, sent out a fake press release last week saying Republican Yvonne Dean-Bailey was no longer running against Democrat Maureen Mann.
The candidates were running in a special election to fill a House seat in Rockingham County. Dean-Bailey, 19, won the race by 126 votes.
The Attorney General’s Office says it investigated the matter after receiving a complaint from state's GOP Chair Jennifer Horn. Gibson turned himself in Thursday and was released on $7,000 cash bail.
According to The Union Leader, Gibson admitted to sending out the release, but said it was a joke. But StephenLaBonte of the AG’s Office says these charges are not to be taken lightly.
“The maximum penalty for a Class-B felony is three-and-half to seven years in prison and a 4,000 dollar and for a misdemeanor it’s one year in jail and a 2,000 dollar fine,” LaBonte said.
He is scheduled to be arraigned June 22.