Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty today in federal court to firearms-related charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Joshua Smith, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024.  Smith was indicted on May 31, 2022.

On March 8, 2022, Nashua Police detectives were executing an outstanding warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Detectives apprehended and arrested the defendant as he was leaving the building to get into a taxi.  The defendant was carrying a duffle bag that contained a 40 mm caliber riot gun. Intelligence revealed that the riot gun was the property of the Manchester Police Department. The defendant had been convicted of several felonies, including a robbery in 2013, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes, which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is 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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