Nashua Felon Sentenced to 68 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Gun

CONCORD – A Nashua man was sentenced today in federal court in connection with a firearm-related charge, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Joshua Smith, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 68 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. On February 6, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

In March 2022, Nashua Police detectives were executing a warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Detectives apprehended and arrested the defendant as he was leaving a building to get into a taxi. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was carrying a duffle bag that contained a 40 mm caliber riot gun.  The defendant had previously been convicted of several felonies, including a robbery in 2013, and was therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of felons,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “This office will continue to hold felons possessing firearms accountable for their continued disregard of the law and will ensure that they pay the penalty for their recidivism.”

“Getting firearms away from convicted felons not allowed to have them is vital as we work to combat violent crime in New Hampshire,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Joshua Smith has a lengthy criminal record and wasn’t permitted to have a gun. The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to imprison criminals who refuse to respect the law in an effort to make our communities safer.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Charles Rombeau are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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