NASHUA – Armed robberies, assaults and threats, drug sales, a serious accident involving drunk driving and the theft of a school bus, are some of the allegations that led to indictments in the April term of the Hillsborough County southern district grand jury.

Suspects indicted include two men charged in connection with the so-called "skimming" scheme, in which perpetrators allegedly used stolen credit card information to empty victims’ accounts or purchase merchandise at Sam’s Club in Hudson.

Also a former Nashua man is under indictment on five counts of theft for allegedly stealing merchandise, including 30 bars of soap and several perfume sets, from local department stores.

An indictment is not an indication, or proof of, guilt, but indicates that a grand jury found sufficient evidence for prosecutors to take a case to trial.

The suspects in the stolen credit card information case, Dairon Jimenez Roja, 25, and Francisco Noguera, 35, both of Austin, Texas, were arrested in January by detectives investigating the wide-ranging scheme in Hudson and Pelham. Jimenez Roja was indicted on one count each of theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, both Class A felonies, for allegedly stealing more than $6,600 from the accounts of several victims.

Noguera was indicted on two counts of criminal liability to fraudulent use of a credit card, both Class A felonies, accusing him of "throwing gift cards, credit cards and other documents" from a vehicle "after being detected by police" while they were allegedly in the process of buying merchandise with stolen credit cards.

Meanwhile, allegations that she conspired with others to steal a school bus led to the indictment of Martha Karugu, 28, of 1 Belknap Road, Hudson, on one count of conspiracy to commit theft, a Class A felony. A second, separate indictment handed down against Karugu charges her with one count of sale of a narcotic drug, second offense, an unclassified felony that stems from her allegedly selling $120 worth of heroin to an undercover Nashua police officer on Nov. 28.

The theft indictment states that Karugu, on Oct. 1, conspired with three men to "obtain unauthorized control over a school bus" belonging to the transportation service Provider Enterprises.

The armed robbery on Jan. 3 of a Wendy’s restaurant in Nashua led to five indictments and two misdemeanor "information" charges being lodged against former Nashua resident Jose Batista-Salva, 29, who is currently incarcerated at Valley Street jail.

Batista-Salva, whose numerous aliases include Jose Salva Basista, Jose M. Batista, Jose Silva and Jose Batesta, is charged with one count each of armed robbery, receiving stolen property, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence, and felon in possession of a dangerous weapon.

According to the indictments, Batista-Salva pointed a 9 mm Ruger handgun at a 16-year-old Wendy’s employee and demanded money on Jan. 3. On the same date, he was charged with receiving the Ruger knowing or believing that it was stolen, and for trying to induce a witness to withhold information from police.

Also on Jan. 3, he is alleged to have tried to hide the Ruger from police investigators, and was also charged with possessing the Ruger after having been convicted of a felony in 2007.

The two misdemeanor charges accuse Batista-
Salva of possessing marijuana, and of endangering the welfare of a 3-year-old child by consuming drugs while the child was in his care, both on Jan. 6.

Other indictments of note handed down in April follow.

• Joseph Croft, 28, of 72 Salem Road, Billerica, Mass. Two counts of burglary, Class B felonies, and one count of theft, Class A felony, for allegedly entering a Hudson home unlawfully on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 and stealing multiple items including a wheelchair, snowshoes, a mountain bike and numerous hand and power tools worth more than $1,500.

• Joseph Drazen, 28, of 3 Norton St., Nashua. One count of receiving stolen property, Class A felony, for allegedly disposing of tools, snowshoes, a snowboard and other items stolen, allegedly by Joseph Croft, from a Hudson home on Jan. 9.

• Maurice DeJesus, 28, currently incarcerated at Middlesex County House of Correction, Billerica, Mass. One count robbery, Class A felony; two counts reckless conduct, Class B felonies; two counts disobeying a police officer, misdemeanors, for allegedly demanding money from an individual while brandishing a knife on Nov. 21 in Nashua; for allegedly striking a police officer while "rapidly driving off" from a motor vehicle stop and driving the car directly at a second officer; and for disobeying the officers’ commands to stop, on Nov. 24 in Nashua.

• Michael Marquis, 49, Valley Street jail, Manchester. Three counts sale of narcotic drug; three counts sale of counterfeit drug, all unclassified felonies, for allegedly selling fentanyl to another and selling a substance he represented to be heroin in September and October in Nashua.

• Martin Paralle, 41, Valley Street jail, Manchester. Five counts theft, Class B felonies, for allegedly concealing merchandise in bags at two Nashua stores and leaving without paying for it on five occasions in January, after having been twice convicted of theft.

• Michele Nault, 26, 7 Mason St., Nashua. One count each of theft by unauthorized taking, theft by deception and possession of a controlled drug, class B felonies; two counts resisting arrest, one count endangering the welfare of a child, Class A misdemeanors, for allegedly stealing seven packages of razors from Wal-Mart, depriving Wal-Mart of $130 by unlawful use of a gift card, for possessing fentanyl, and for kicking and pulling away from a police officer while holding onto a 17-month-old infant, all on Jan. 24 in Hudson.

• Ronald Russell, 35, Valley Street jail, Manchester. One count of first-degree assault, Class A felony, for allegedly stabbing Freddie Buchanan Jr. in the abdomen with a knife on Jan. 17 in Hudson.

• Mark Brooks, 26, 17 Marion St., Apt. 3, Boston. One count of bail jumping, Class A felony, for allegedly failing to appear at court proceedings, including a scheduled plea and sentencing hearing at Superior Court in Nashua on charges of possession of narcotic drug with intent to sell, second offense, on March 8 in Nashua.

• Ernest Hardy, 32, 31 Manchester St., Nashua. One count each certain uses of computer services prohibited, Class B felony, and solicitation to manufacture of child sexual abuse images, unclassified felony, for allegedly soliciting a 12-year-old girl to take a naked photo of herself and send it to him, and for using the internet to attempt to seduce, solicit, lure or entice another 12-year-old female to engage in sexual intercourse, on Jan. 30 and Feb. 8-9 in Nashua.

• Craig Michaud, 41, 107 Cadogan Way, Nashua. Two counts aggravated driving while intoxicated, Class B felonies, for allegedly driving a vehicle on the Everett Turnpike while impaired by intoxicating liquor, causing a motor vehicle collision resulting in serious bodily injury to his 41-year-old passenger, on Sept. 20 in Merrimack.

• Leann Baldock, 38, 145 Canterbury Lane, Londonderry. Three counts forgery, Class A felonies; one count each theft by deception and receiving stolen property, Class A misdemeanors, for allegedly retaining and cashing three stolen checks worth $750 total at Citizens Bank and withdrawing $300 from a bank account she was not authorized to use, on Feb. 13 and 20 and April 20, in Hudson.

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-6443, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_DeanS.

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