Duo Charged in Armed Robbery of Downtown Businesses

Two Nashua men were charged in connection with an April armed robbery of a downtown restaurant by armed gunmen.

On October 17, 2012 at approximately 5:58 pm, members of the Nashua Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit arrested

• Stefan Baringer, 29, of 93 Walden Pond Drive, Nashua, was arrested Oct. 17 on an active arrest warrant by the city's Problem Oriented Policing Unit, charging him with robbery, a class A felony.

• Joshua Smith, 28, of Valley Street Jail, Manchester, was arrested Nov. 3 on an active warrant for robbery, a class A felony.

Police said on April 26, 2012 at approximately 10:17 p.m., Uniformed Patrol Officers responded to a downtown restaurant for the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers learned that two armed, masked suspects had entered the business and stolen money. The suspects had fled prior to the officer’s arrival. The employees were not harmed.

The investigation was furthered by detectives in the Nashua Police Criminal Investigations Division. As a result of the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for Stefan Baringer and Joshua Smith.

At the time of his arrest, Smith was also charged with the burglary on July 3 of a downtown business, a class A felony. Smith was also charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, a class A misdemeanor, for using a credit card from a Nashua residential burglary that occurred in July 2012.

A class A felony is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, exclusive of fines. A class B felony is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment, exclusive of fines. A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in county jail, exclusive of fines.

Both Baringer and Smith are being held at the Valley Street Jail in Manchester, New Hampshire. Smith is awaiting arraignment in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Division Court. Baringer was arraigned on October 18, 2012.