Justin P. Nadeau, a former Democratic lawyer with aspirations for elected office, is now facing prison time after being arrested for stealing money from a disabled client. Nadeau, 47, was apprehended by police on Wednesday, charged with theft by deception, forgery, multiple counts of falsifying physical evidence, and financial exploitation of a disabled adult. This arrest follows an ongoing investigation into his unethical conduct and comes just one day after another New Hampshire Democrat faced similar legal troubles.
The allegations against Nadeau stem from a case involving a disabled client, 52-year-old Shawn Fahey of Exeter, who was suffering from a traumatic brain injury. In 2018, Nadeau allegedly coerced Fahey into giving him nearly $300,000 in loans. The lawyer purportedly secured the loans with a condo he did not own, along with the potential proceeds of a defamation lawsuit he was pursuing against the Portsmouth Police Department.
Nadeau allegedly informed Fahey that he was financially struggling and needed the loans to tide him over until his lawsuit was resolved. The defamation lawsuit stemmed from an arrest involving Portsmouth man Christian Jennings, who was found with illegal substances and large sums of cash. Nadeau had been handling a marina investment for Jennings, but the deal never materialized. This lawsuit was eventually settled in 2019.
As part of his unethical practices, Nadeau is accused of hiding $165,000 he collected after referring Fahey’s injury case to a Massachusetts attorney. He is said to have received referral fees and additional funds linked to Fahey’s case.
The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC), which investigated Nadeau’s actions, reported that he had destroyed his computer before presenting documents to the committee. The PCC also uncovered that the documents Nadeau presented were falsified. James Berriman, a computer expert hired by the PCC, revealed that the dates on the documents were altered to make them appear legitimate, despite being created long after the money had been taken from Fahey.
Nadeau’s attempts to explain his actions fell short, with the PCC stating that the evidence of document tampering was a severe violation of legal ethics. The New Hampshire Supreme Court upheld his disbarment, ruling that he crossed numerous ethical boundaries that would prevent him from returning to legal practice.
Currently, Nadeau faces arraignment in Rockingham County Circuit Court, set for September 9. He now stands as an example of the serious consequences of professional misconduct, especially for a lawyer who once held political ambitions.