MANCHESTER – State Police filed felony charges yesterday afternoon against two area men they say spray painted graffiti on bridges and noise barriers along Interstate 293.

Derek Gagnon of Goffstown, 20, and Justin Frost of Manchester, 19, did what Sgt. Chris Wagner said was thousands of dollars in damage to the highway structures. The defendants faced arraignment this morning in Manchester District Court on felony criminal mischief charges.

Justin Frost, left and Derek Gagnon

The two were similarly arrested at 3 a.m. June 19 on charges of spray-painting several Manchester buildings: Athens restaurant, TJ's sports bar, The Elm Street Shop, La Cage Boutique, The Beauty Salon and Greg's Place. State Trooper Marc Beaudoin, stationed in Milford, started an investigation the next day to link the two men to wider acts of graffiti. 

According to Manchester Capt. Richard Valenti, the pair are among the city's most prolific vandals. Authorities caught them June 19 allegedly with aerosol cans and hands wet with paint after a Verizon Center security guard spotted them on a surveillance camera. According to police, their alleged signature tags, "DKRANE" and "Hostyle Fam," are widespread.

Both men pleaded innocent last month. Tracy Degges, a member of the mayor's anti-graffiti task force, called the June bust a "big one" at the time.

"I mean, these guys' tags are all over our city," she said.

Gagnon pleaded no contest to unrelated charges last month of unauthorized use of a vehicle and resisting arrest. He received a one-year jail sentence with 11 months suspended. 

Frost was charged with unrelated crimes last month as well: a stop sign violation, speeding, conduct in public and failure to appear in court on a charge of driving after revocation.

RELATED STORY

Goffstown man arrested for graffiti