New Hampshire Corrections Fugitive From April Accused Of Resisting, Tased By Lebanon Cops

CONCORD, NH — A drug felon and fugitive, missing since April, has been captured by police, according to the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.

Joshua D. Champney, 35, was wanted on a parole violation and featured in late April after he was accused of evading capture by police. On Thursday night, he was found by police in Lebanon at Walmart.

“When the officer attempted to take him into custody, Champney resisted arrest and assaulted the officer, prompting the officer to deploy a Taser,” the department said. “Champney was then safely taken into custody, and a firearm was discovered in his backpack.”

Champney was taken to the Grafton County Jail and waived a preliminary hearing on Friday. He remains in custody. On top of the parole violation, Champney now faces possession of a firearm, burglary, receiving stolen property-firearm, and second-degree assault charges, all felonies, as well as resisting arrest or detention.

“The New Hampshire Department of Corrections extends its appreciation to the Lebanon Police Department for their response and assistance in the apprehension of Champney,” a statement said.

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Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire Department of Corrections and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the process for requesting the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

Champney’s criminal history dates back close to 15 years after he was accused of acts prohibited in Grafton in July 2010. Five months later, he was indicted on the charges. In February 2012, he pleaded guilty to one charge and received a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, and a $500 fine, as well as two years probation. Champney violated his probation three times.

In August 2014, he was accused of falsifying physical evidence and two receiving stolen property-$1,501 counts. He was charged two months later. Champney was accused of acts prohibited in Grafton in February 2015 and resisting arrest in July 2015. In late January 2016, he was charged in both cases. Champney pleaded guilty to all the charges in February 2016 and received three 12-month sentences, six months suspended for two years, with 76 days of time served and two years’ probation, as well as two two-to-five-year sentences, both suspended for five years, and served concurrently. He was also fined $500. Champney also violated probation three times in this case.

Champney was charged with methamphetamine possession in Canaan in March 2021 after an incident 13 months before. In Lebanon in May 2021, Champney was charged with two felony drug possession counts. He failed to appear at the arraignment and was held on $10,000 cash bail. In July 2021, he was charged with two counts of acts prohibited out of Newport from two and a half months before, court documents stated. Champney pleaded guilty to the acts prohibited charges in December of that year and received two two-to-five-year sentences and $2,000 in suspended fines, with a mandatory two years in prison. Another drug received a two-to-four-year sentence with 90 days of time served credit and a $620 fine, all suspended for four years in one case. In the meth case, he received a three-and-a-half-to-seven-year sentence and $620 fine, all suspended for four years.

Champney was also charged with felon in possession of a dangerous weapon in October 2020 in Nashua. He pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2022 and received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

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