Former Attorney Justin Nadeau Indicted

By InDepth NH

Attorney General John M. Formella announces that the Rockingham County Grand Jury has returned 15 indictments charging disbarred Portsmouth attorney Justin Nadeau, age 51, with a class A felony count of Theft by Deception, two class A felony counts of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly, Disabled, or Impaired Adult, one class B felony count of Forgery, and eleven class B felony counts of Falsifying Physical Evidence.

The Theft by Deception and Financial Exploitation indictments allege that between August 17 and August 22, 2018, Mr. Nadeau obtained a $275,000 loan from his now former client, who had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury, under false pretenses; namely, by failing to disclose a lien, adverse claim, or other legal impediment to a condominium that he encumbered as collateral for the loan. Mr. Nadeau is alleged to have obtained a second loan from this same client on December 12, 2018. Additionally, the Forgery indictment alleges that, in an effort to perpetrate a fraud on his former client, Mr. Nadeau signed his former wife’s signature to a promissory note representing a pecuniary interest.

The Falsification of Physical Evidence indictments allege that Mr. Nadeau subsequently undertook efforts to conceal his misconduct from the New Hampshire Attorney Discipline Office (“ADO”), including by fabricating documentation, producing false electronic file metadata, and by destroying and/or concealing his computer.

Mr. Nadeau is scheduled to be arraigned on these indictments at the Rockingham County Superior Court on October 23, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

The charges against Justin Nadeau are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles and Attorney Alexander J. Kellermann of the Criminal Justice Bureau.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.