Newport drug dealer receives two-year sentence

By JOHN LIPPMAN

Valley News Staff Writer

Published: 07-11-2022 9:13 PM

NEWPORT — A 31-year Newport woman whose drug sales prosecutors said resulted in multiple overdoses in the area — including her own — pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to time in county jail on Monday.

Maryanne Baldauff received identical sentences of 12 months in the Sullivan County House of Corrections, less 107 days credited for pre-trial confinement, after pleading guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to sell heroin/fentanyl near a school and guilty to a misdemeanor charge of indirect criminal contempt for cutting off her ankle monitor bracelet while on parole, according to New Hampshire state court records.

The two sentences will be served concurrently.

In addition, Baldauff pleaded guilty to a felony charge of selling Percocet and was sentenced to 12 months in the county jail, to be served successively after completing the sentence on the first two guilty pleas and placed on probation for three years.

The court also recommended Baldauff participate in Sullivan County Correction’s Transitional Reentry and Inmate Life Skills (TRAILS) providing offenders intensive therapy and transition planning to reduce recidivism.

Baldauff’s case drew heightened scrutiny from Sullivan County investigators because of the apparent overdose death of Robin Simomeau, 67, a long-time substance abuser who died while staying in a spare bedroom at Baldauff’s apartment in Newport in April.

Although prosecutors at Baldauff’s bail hearing could not establish she intentionally supplied Simoneau with the drugs that are believed to have caused her overdose, they argued that Baldauff nonetheless exhibited indifference by not reporting Simoneau’s death until two days after she died.

Baldauff has maintained that she was not at home during the two days between Simoneau’s death and when she discovered Simoneau’s body in her apartment’s spare bedroom.

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But prosecutors are still looking into Simoneau’s death and whether it was the result of drugs given or sold by Baldauff, according to Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway.

“The investigation into Simoneau’s death is still ongoing and not covered by this agreement,” he said of Baldauff’s plea agreement on Monday.

Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.

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