Failed $10 Methamphetamine Deal Leads To Drug Gopher Being Popped By Buyer, Nashua Detectives Say

NASHUA, NH — A man from Nashua is facing a felony assault charge after being accused of assaulting another man and fracturing his jaw, according to police.

Joseph Lewis, 43, of Temple Street in Nashua, was arrested on Jan. 23 on a felony second-degree assault charge.

Around 1:15 a.m. on Jan. 12, officers were sent to the area of Cottage Street for a report of a man who was bleeding after being assaulted. When police and first responders arrived, the man was “visibly injured and combative.” The man, who was in his early 50s, lived in a rooming house on Temple Street, according to a report, and was involved in some sort of assault there. The victim was taken to the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center for treatment.

Officers went to Temple Street to find a fight or crime scene, but were unable to, a report said. One officer went to the hospital to speak to the victim, but he was sedated and intubated due to a broken and displaced jaw and nasal fractures, the report stated. A second officer reviewed security footage from the property and reportedly saw the victim arguing with another man in the building's laundry room at just after 1 a.m. The other man was then seen striking the victim in the face, an affidavit stated. The victim then stumbled and fled the building in a disoriented state.

A third man was in the area and appeared to be a witness to the assault, a detective wrote in the report.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Nashua Police Department and Nashua District Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

A detective was notified and began investigating the incident, which led to Lewis being identified as the assault suspect, an affidavit stated.

The witness was also identified and interviewed. He reportedly told the detective the victim owed Lewis money, according to the report.

Detectives spoke with Lewis, who agreed to talk voluntarily in a recorded interview in the hallway of the building, and claimed the victim stole $10 from him the day before, according to an affidavit. He was then accused of admitting he confronted the victim in the laundry room in the building earlier that evening.

“Joseph said that at some point during his confrontation with (the victim), (the victim) began reaching behind his back,” the report stated. “Joseph said this made him concerned that (he) was trying to reach for a weapon.”

Lewis then admitted striking the other man, the affidavit said.

The next day, detectives interviewed the victim at Boston Medical Center, where he had been transferred for surgery. The victim, who only identified the suspect as “Joe” and said he was 6 feet, 9 inches tall, said Lewis gave him $10 for 0.2 grams of methamphetamine, but the drug transaction fell through, the report said. This led to Lewis demanding his money back, an affidavit said, which led to the confrontation and punch.

A warrant was issued for Lewis’ arrest on Jan. 20.

Lewis was arrested a few days later at the soup kitchen on Quincy Street and held on preventative detention.

Lewis offered no plea on Jan. 26 had a probable cause hearing in court on Tuesday.

According to superior court records, Lewis has a criminal history dating back nearly two decades.

In May 2007, he was charged with second-degree assault after an incident in Manchester but the case was nolle prossed later. About two years later, he was charged with aggravated felonious sexual assault after an incident in Loudon. That case, too, was nolle prossed. In June 2009, Lewis was charged with robbery, assault, and obstructing the report of a crime or injury after an incident in Manchester. Those charges were also nolle prossed.

In September 2020, Lewis was charged with second-degree assault-deadly weapon in Manchester. While that case was going on, Lewis was charged with second-degree assault and simple assault in Manchester in March 2021. A jury found Lewis guilty of both simple assault and second-degree assault in August 2021. In September 2021, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison and 12 months in jail, all suspended, for three years. After more than a year’s worth of hearings and just before going to trial, the deadly weapon charge was nolle prossed. Lewis was denied work release in June 2022 but was later released.

In May and June 2024, he was charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled drug. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count and received a 12-month sentence and $434 fine, both suspended for two years, with one year probation after. The June 2024 charge was nolle prossed as part of the deal. He was accused of violating probation. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Jan. 8. Lewis has another hearing scheduled for March 2.

Lewis was also charged with felony drug possession in May 2025 after an incident in Manchester. In October 2025, he was given a 12-month jail sentence and $434 fine suspended for three years. Two weeks later, his sentence was amended and he was given 21 days of time served credit.

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