New Hampshire state
Representative-elect Stacie Marie Laughton has announced she will
resign following reports of a 2008 credit card fraud conviction.
Laughton made history earlier this
month as the state's first transgender representative.
According to the Laconia
Daily Sun, Laughton served 4.5 months in a corrections
facility for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud. Under the name
of Barry Charles Jr., Laughton in 2008 pleaded guilty to charges of
conspiracy to commit fraudulent use of a credit card, conspiracy to
commit identity fraud and falsifying physical evidence.
A 2006 misdemeanor conviction for
slashing the tires of a neighbor in her apartment building resulted
in Laughton being ordered to pay $647 in restitution.
Laughton said she was “extremely
disappointed” at having to resign, but added that she would remain
involved in the community.
“I'm going to stay involved and
continue my activism and the advocacy work I've done,” she
said. “I'm very bold and not afraid to put myself out there,
despite my past. I won't stop serving my community in whatever
capacity I can.”