Dennis Higgins Sr., age 55, of Pelham

HUDSON – Dennis Higgins Sr., the now 55-year-old former Hudson resident sentenced in 2018 to suspended and deferred prison time on drug and burglary charges, is now facing a set of new offenses following his arrest this week by Hudson police.

Police said members of the department’s Narcotics Unit took Higgins into custody after officers pulled over the vehicle he was driving in Hudson, the exact location of which wasn’t provided.

The officers charged Higgins, formerly of 9 Melendy Road and now listed as a Pelham resident, with one count of possession of a controlled drug – subsequent offense, a Class A felony, along with one count each of driving after suspension and license prohibitions, both Class A misdemeanors.

Police said the officers also served Higgins with four outstanding warrants, but didn’t specify the nature of the charges for which the warrants were issued.

He was booked on the charges at police headquarters then released on personal recognizance bail pending arraignment, which will take place in Hillsborough County Superior Court South in Nashua on a date yet to be determined.

As for the 2018 hearing in which Higgins was given suspended and deferred prison sentences, he and prosecutors had reached an agreement that called for Higgins to plead guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled drug and “true” to one count of burglary.

Higgins entered a plea of “true” under a so-called Alford plea, which means that Higgins acknowledges evidence exists but he is not admitting guilt to the charge.

Two other cases, one involving a charge of assault from 2016, were also to be settled as part of the March 2018 sentencing hearing, which had originally been scheduled for November 2017.

But just as the proceedings were about to get underway, Higgins began arguing with his then-attorney, Shea Sennett, over Judge Charles Temple’s ruling to allow the assault victim to read a statement during the hearing.

Sennett’s attempts to calm Higgins were unsuccessful, prompting him to take Higgins into a conference room to continue the discussion.

When the two returned to the courtroom, Temple informed them of his decision to continue the hearing until March.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.