CONCORD, NH — A convicted teacher serving time in Massachusetts for raping a Concord student at a summer program at the Fessenden School in Newton, MA, in 2015 and 2016, has been indicted on new charges in Concord, dating back to October 2014, according to a filing in Merrimack County Superior Court.
Primo “Howie” Leung, 41, currently incarcerated in the Bay State, was indicted on 39 charges on Tuesday, including criminal restraint, two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault-pattern sexual assault, 16 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault-authority position, 16 counts of felonious sexual assault-penetration-victim 13 to 15, two witness tampering-induce another, and falsifying physical evidence charges, all felonies. He was also indicted on a misdemeanor sexual assault-aggravated circ. count.
The indictment was posted on Thursday afternoon.
Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Merrimack County Attorney Paul Halvorsen and Concord Police Department Chief Bradley Osgood released a short statement not long after the court published the indictments confirming the grand jury action against Leung, saying they were accusations and he should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Most of the child rape, sexual assault, and other charges stem from incidents dating between October 2014 and August 2015. Limited information is available about the investigation because it was a direct indictment — meaning the case file and affidavits are unavailable. It is unknown if the charges in these incidents were connected to known girls, now women, involved in the previous investigations, or others.
Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
It would appear, from the filing, the witness tampering charges, which stem from incidents on Dec. 7, 2018, were connected to the initial incident where students reportedly saw Leung kissing an 18-year-old female student inside of a vehicle on East Side Drive near Interstate 393.
That incident led to an investigation of Leung, his placement in a teacher rehabilitation program, and investigatory documents being given to the New Hampshire Department of Education by then-School Superintendent Terri Forsten. An attorney with the NH DOE, Diana Fenton, and Richard Farrell, a retired state trooper, began looking into the matter, which led to investigations by the Concord police and, later, the Newton MA Police Department after the victim, Fabiana McLeod, reported being raped and assaulted at a summer program at the Fessenden School.
In July 2023, Leung was sentenced to six to seven years in prison as part of a plea deal on aggravated rape of a child with a 10-year age difference; two counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14; and two counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older. When released from prison, Leung will be on probation for three years and will have to register as a sex offender.
During the plea hearing, Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Brant alluded to possible crimes in Concord as part of the timeline of the assaults against McLeod. He said advances by the Rundlett Middle School teacher began when girl was 13 and involved kissing and forced fondling, Brant said. This led Leung to invite her to the English Language Learner summer camp at the Fessenden.
During the plea deal and admission of guilt, Ghazi Al-Marayati, Leung’s attorney, requested any talk of allegations against his client in New Hampshire be removed as part of the plea and context of the admission. Brant and the judge agreed after some discussion.
After he was sent to jail in July 2023, there were rumors in Concord he could face charges in New Hampshire. He was never charged in 2019 because police did not have evidence of any felony charges at the time, only misdemeanors, according to investigators. Patch learned later some police believed more than two girls were involved with Leung, but it was never proven.
After sentencing, Deputy Police Chief John Thomas said investigators would revisit charges against Leung.
Civil case documents also accused Leung of being involved in sexual activity with McLeod as far back as February 2015.
McLeod and another student received about $1.55 million in settlements from the Concord School District’s insurance company, Primex.
The new charges seem to accuse Leung of being involved with a misdemeanor sexual assault while criminally restraining a victim in October 2014, five months before any known assault or inappropriate behavior accusations against him in the public sphere.
Leung is scheduled for a bail hearing and arraignment on Oct. 7.
In a statement, Kathleen Murphy, the superintendent of schools for SAU 8 the Concord School District, commended the work of investigators and law enforcement.
“The district is grateful for the work of the CPD and the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office for their continued investigation and effort to seek justice for Primo Leung’s egregious actions,” she said. “The district continues to be concerned regarding the student involved in this matter. As a district, we have enacted policies, procedures, and practices to ensure something like this will not happen again.”
Murphy said there have been no financial settlements with any students beyond the three who have already received payments from Primex.
Prior Patch Coverage
Primo ‘Howie’ Leung Could Face More Charges In Concord Now: Follow-Up
Primo ‘Howie’ Leung Receives 6 Years In Prison On Massachusetts Child Rape Charges
Former Concord NH Educator Reaches Plea Deal On Newton’s Fessenden School Rape Charges
Second Leung Victim Nets $1M From Concord School District Insurer
Teacher From Amherst First To Face ‘Howie Leung Loophole’ Law Charges
Concord High School Teacher-Student Rape Case Costs Close To $1M
NH Revokes Former Concord School Superintendent’s Credentials
Governor Closes ‘Howie Leung Loophole,’ Signs Other Assault Bills
Former Concord Principal Sica Surrenders Educator Credentials
Amherst School Superintendent Silent On Forsten Curriculum Job
State Leaders Seek To Close Sexual Assault ‘Howie Leung Loophole’
School District Files Motion To Dismiss Leung Rape Report Lawsuit
Loose Ends Linger Throughout Concord School District Leung Report
Concord School District Releases Leung Sexual Misconduct Report
Concord School District Sued For Leung Investigation Documents
Interim Superintendent Stunned By Pain, Fear Of Concord Community
One Concord School Board Member Ousted; One Incumbent Survives
Concord Teacher-Student Rape Case Leads To Second SAU 8 Dismissal
Embattled Concord School Super Terminated By Board Of Education
Petition To Remove Officials From Concord Schools Cracks 2,000
Concord School Superintendent: Letter To Staff ‘A Serious Error’
Concord School Board Holds Emergency Meeting Sunday With Counsel
Online Petition Launched To Have Concord School Officials Removed
Concord Superintendent Lashes Out At Media Coverage Of District
Concord School Board To Revise ‘Professional Expectations’ Policy
Concord High School Principal Takes A Leave Of Absence
Labrie’s Former Counsel Not Hired To Probe Teacher Rape Case
Concord School District Is Burning Through Its FY20 Legal Funding
Embattled Concord Principal Led Staff Remotely While On Leave
Concord High Principal Did Not Influence Investigation: Attorney
Education Department Revokes Accused Rapist’s Teaching Credential
Update: Leadership Changes Coming To Concord School District
Former Rundlett Assistant Principal Not Credentialed For 12 Years
Concord City Council Issues Statement About Leung Case, Schools
Leung Report Release Could Be Embarrassing, Humiliating: Attorney
Parents To Concord School Board: Fire Assistant Superintendent
Mom Accuses Concord Teacher Of Trying To Groom Daughter In 2011
Concord School District To Conduct Full Staff Credentialing Audit
Second Concord School Employee Found Not To Be Credentialed
Credentialing Of Concord’s Acting School Super Could Take Months
Concord Police Chief Says He’d Like To See School Investigation
Acting Concord School Superintendent Not Credentialed With NH DOE
Concord Board Of Education Considering Personnel ‘Next Steps’
Concord Superintendent Forsten, Principal Sica Placed On Leave
Concord Board Of Education Members Eyeing Investigative Report
Parents, Students Vent About Issues With Concord School District
Concord School Board To Update Public About Investigation Tuesday
Concord School Board Opens New Investigation Into Leung Rape Case
Should The Concord School District Have Responded Faster To Case?
Students Saw Concord Teacher Kiss, Hug Another Student: Docs
How A Distinguished Concord Teacher Became A Student Rape Suspect
NH Teacher Held Without Bail After Bay State Arraignment
Concord Teacher Accused Of Raping Student In Newton, MA
Distinguished Educators for 2012
Do you have a news tip? Please email it to [email protected]. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.