Winchendon traffic stop uncovers crack cocaine and heroin; two arrested, one sentenced to jail

WINCHENDON — On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at around 12:15 p.m., Detective Caleb Similia of the Winchendon Police Department was on patrol when he observed a black Chevy Silverado with New Hampshire plates leave a residence “with known drug activity and history.”

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narratives of Detective Similia and Officer Joseph Champney and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

“I had observed the Chevy at the residence for a short period of time which through my training and experience, is consistent with a drug transaction,” Detective Similia said. “I advised Officer Champney and [Justin] Smith of my observations. A registration check showed the owner of the Chevy, Sean Gangnon had a suspended Massachusetts license.”

Officer Smith later conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on Baldwinville State Road by the rest area.

“Contact was made with three occupants who were identified as Todd Gangnon, Jessica Valley, and Ashley Wrightbatchelder; whom I know from previous drug investigations as a narcotics user and suspected distributor,” Detective Similia said. “Having reasonable suspicion that the vehicle and or occupants would possess drugs, Winchendon K9 Officer [Justin] Wironen was contacted for a K9 sniff. Prior to the sniff, Jessica admitted to having smoked crack cocaine recently and stated there would be crack in the vehicle within a cigarette pack.”

According to police, Jessica N. Valley, 34, is a resident of Elm Street in Greenfield, MA.

Detective Similia said that a search of the cigarette pack revealed a small plastic baggie containing a white rock-like substance consistent with crack cocaine and another small plastic baggie containing a tan powdery substance consistent with heroin.

“Roadside the male operator identified himself to Officer Smith as David McPhee (DOB 03/11/63) and stated he did not have his license on him,” Officer Champney said. “It should be noted much later in a spontaneous utterance, the man identified himself as Todd Gangnon and it was verified. A check of the McPhee name revealed that person had no active license (cancelled). Gangnon was ordered out of the truck based on that information and I detained him in handcuffs. I later placed him under arrest for unlicensed operation again based off the McPhee name at the time.”

According to police, Todd A. Gagnon, 58, is a resident of Sunnyhill Road, Lunenburg, MA.

“After revealing his true identity in the back of the cruiser, it was learned Gangnon had a suspended license status in addition to an active warrant out of Ashburnham,” Officer Champney said. Officer Champney said the warrant from Ashburnham was for charges of operating a motor vehicle after suspension and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

Officer Champney added that Gagnon had been found guilty of operating a vehicle with a suspended license “on at least 10 occasions.”

Gagnon was charged with:

• Operating Motor Vehicle with License Suspended, Subsequent Offense
• Motor Vehicle Operator, Refuse Identify Self
• Arrest Based on a Warrant

Valley was placed under arrest for the following:

• Possess Class A Drug
• Possess Class B Drug

Gagnon was arraigned in Winchendon District Court on March 11, 2025. During his arraignment, Gagnon pleaded guilty to the charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license (subsequent offense) and refusing to identify himself as a motor vehicle operator. Judge Mark Goldstein sentenced him to 60 days in jail.

Valley was arraigned in Winchendon District Court on March 12, 2025. Following her arraignment, she was released on $1,000 cash bail. She attended a pretrial hearing on April 17, 2025. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 14, 2025.

The third occupant of the vehicle, Ashley Wrightbatchelder, was not arrested at the scene. Based on available information, it appears police did not establish probable cause to arrest her at that time.

Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from March, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.

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