CLAREMONT, N.H. (WCAX) – Claremont, New Hampshire’s former parks and recreation director is facing credit card fraud charges.
Justin Martin, 36, of Claremont, is accused of making unauthorized personal purchases with public funds while serving as the city’s parks and recreation director.
Related Story:
The sheriff’s office says city officials turned over financial records thought to be connected to those purchases.
Martin was released on bail.
Claremont’s city manager recently announced she was stepping down after less than a year on the job. The city also has a number of other vacancies, including library director, health inspector, building inspector, finance director, and director of parks and recreation.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Identity theft is the “foundational” fraud upon which many other crimes are built. It involves the unauthorized acquisition and use of a person’s personal identifying information (PII), such as an ID number, Social Security number, or passport details.
- How it works: Fraudsters obtain PII through data breaches, mail theft, or “social engineering” (tricking people into revealing details). Once they have this data, they can open new bank accounts, apply for credit cards or loans, and even receive medical treatment under your name.
- Synthetic Identity Fraud: A sophisticated variation where criminals combine real and fabricated information to create a completely new, “synthetic” person. This is particularly difficult to detect because there is no single victim to report the suspicious activity initially.