Hillsborough, New Hampshire – On August 18, 2026, Charles “Chuck” Puccio Jr., 78, of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to multiple charges stemming from his attacks on 15 painted turtles who were found dead between June 6 and June 12.
According to New Hampshire Fish & Game:
- 15 painted turtles were found dead between June 6 and June 12, with evidence they had been run over.
- On June 12, a witness reportedly saw a man stop his UTV, get out, pick up a nesting painted turtle and deliberately stomp on it before driving away.
- The witness found the turtle with a damaged shell and got it to a wildlife rehabilitator.
- On June 17, Fish & Game officers surveilled Bog Road and reportedly witnessed a man matching the suspect’s description engaging in the same conduct.
- The man was identified as Puccio.
The surviving turtle has been named Oka by New Hampshire Turtle Rescue. She suffered significant shell trauma from the stomping incident and has been undergoing rehabilitation. As of the latest report, she’s expected to make a full recovery and be returned to the wild in spring 2027, assuming her rehabilitation continues successfully.
New Hampshire Turtle Rescue’s executive director, Dallas Huggins, described the conduct as “disgusting and so depraved.”
NH Turtle Rescue outlined the outcome of this case, writing:
Puccio pled guilty to these charges in court on August 18th and was convicted on all three counts. He was fined $620 that will be returned after a year of good behavior, along with about $250 in court fees and a permanent record of the convictions.
The cruelty to wildlife charge should have been felony-level, but NHFG is only able to charge up to a misdemeanor on its own. The Hillsborough County District Attorney wasn’t moving forward with the felony charges, so NHFG did the most that they could.
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