Drug Dealer Blamed in Fatal Crash

Bail was increased significantly Thursday afternoon after prosecutors urged the court system to do its part in keeping an alleged drug dealer and "danger to the community" off the streets.

Cindy Sheppard, 48, of 51 Ocean Blvd., Apt. 5, in Hampton, was ordered held on $25,000 cash-only bail following an arraignment in Rockingham Superior Court Thursday afternoon on seven drug indictments.

That arraignment took place a couple of hours after a Hampton District Court judge ordered Sheppard be held on $10,000 cash or corporate surety bail on separate charges that allege she gave a narcotic painkiller to unlicensed teen driver Darriean Hess before letting Hess drive the vehicle that Hess operated while causing an accident that killed two cyclists and injured two others on Saturday.

The vehicle belonged to Hess' fiancé, Scott Martin, who Thursday afternoon became the third person charged in connection to the fatal crash.

Sheppard was out on bail for the seven drug counts when she was arrested Wednesday in connection to Saturday's fatal crash, which is part of the reason why Assistant County Attorney Karen Springer argued in superior court on Thursday that Sheppard's $2,500 bail on the seven drug counts be increased.

Springer said that Sheppard's actions "led" to the fatal crash, and said that $2,500 bail is "obviously insufficient" because Sheppard has shown that she "won't comply with any conditions of bail."

Video of Springer discussing the case is included above.

A motion to revoke bail may also be filed, according to the judge's ruling to increase bail.

Defense Attorney Neil Reardon said in superior court Thursday that Sheppard, who grew up in Nashua, isn't "liable" for Saturday's fatal crash. He repeated many of the statements he made in district court about Sheppard's two amputated legs while arguing that Sheppard isn't a flight risk.

The seven drug counts are the result of an undercover investigation into substantial illegal drug sales on Hampton Beach, which culminated in Sheppard's arrest in June and her indictment in September. 

Springer said all of the charges are for possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute, save for one count of possession of marijuana. Sheppard's charges stem from the fact that she had 7.39 grams of heroin, 4.06 grams of cocaine, .41 grams of crack cocaine, two pills or .53 grams of methylone, eight pills or 1.67 grams of oxycodone, eight pills or 1.25 grams of diazepam, and 1.67 ounces of marijuana on her when police arrested her in June.

Sheppard will be scheduled for a disposition hearing in Rockingham Superior Court the near future for the drug case, according to Springer. 

Prosecutors say additional charges, though, are likely coming in connection to the fatal crash. Sheppard drove Hess away from the scene of a traffic stop for speeding in Hess' fiancé's 2002 Honda Civic around 12:45 a.m. Saturday before giving Hess fentanyl and allowing Hess to drive the car, even though police had told Sheppard that Hess wasn't allowed to drive it.

Hess stayed with Sheppard that night, but Sheppard let Hess operate the vehicle shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, which is roughly half an hour before the fatal crash occurred on Hampton's Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge. 

Sheppard pleaded not guilty in Hampton District Court on Thursday to letting the Seabrook teen drive the car. 



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