Geno Marconi, who has overseen New Hampshire’s ports and harbors for decades, will plead guilty to a single count of sharing confidential materials, bringing to a close a year-long criminal case.
Jury selection was set to begin next week in Marconi's trial. He was accused of sharing confidential boating and motor vehicle records in an act of retaliation against Pease Development Authority board member Neil Levesque, with whom he had an acrimonious relationship, and then deleting voicemails while under investigation.
Under the terms of the plea deal, announced Thursday afternoon by the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Marconi agreed to a 30-day jail sentence, which will be suspended pending good behavior. He will also pay a $2,000 fine and resign from his position as director of the New Hampshire Division of Ports and Harbors. The remaining charges will be dropped.
The state's investigation into Marconi expanded beyond his own alleged criminal conduct. His wife, state Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, was indicted by prosecutors last year on allegations that she attempted to meddle into her husband’s investigation. Hantz Marconi’s indictments came just a day before prosecutors announced the changes against her husband last October.
Earlier this month, Hantz Marconi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge related to a meeting she had in June 2024 with then-Gov. Chris Sununu, where the two discussed the case involving her husband. Sununu told authorities he didn’t believe Hantz Marconi crossed any ethical lines during their meeting.
As part of her plea, Hantz Marconi paid a $1,200 fine. Within days, the Supreme Court moved to restore her to the bench, a move that appears to have caught state prosecutors, including Attorney General John Formella, off guard.
Hantz Marconi will turn 70 next February, the mandatory retirement age for judges in New Hampshire. She may still face other disciplinary measures from the state Judicial Conduct Committee, which is still reviewing her case.
A ‘covert op’ comes to an end
Marconi was indicted last October on charges related to disclosing motor vehicle records in an act of retaliation against Levesque. Levesque serves on the Pease Development Authority board of directors, the body that oversees Marconi and the state’s ports. Marconi and Levesque have long had an acrimonious relationship, according to lawyers in the case. Tensions flared over management of Rye Harbor — where Levesque has previously moored a boat — and regarding the accuracy of meeting minutes following public hearings.
In April, prosecutors allege that Marconi requested copies of Levesque’s pier permit, as well as boat and car registration, from Mandy Huff, Rye’s harbor master. Marconi texted Huff that his request was part of a “covert op,” according to court records, though it isn’t clear if that was in jest.
Marconi then shared the records with Brad Cook, who serves on the port advisory council.
Cook has also been charged criminally for allegedly lying to a grand jury about his involvement in the alleged scheme.
In legal filings, Marconi has said that the records he shared that belonged to Levesque are not confidential, as prosecutors contend. He notes that the Pease Development Authority routinely releases similar boat registration information as part of its public agendas before hearings.
A plea hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled.
