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Man pleads guilty to lesser charges

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Apr 1, 2020

NASHUA – Negotiations between prosecutors and attorneys representing Nashua resident Kyle Mercer recently yielded a plea agreement, which a judge accepted Tuesday at a Superior Court hearing.

The case has to do with the November incident in which Mercer and three other young men allegedly filmed, and posted online through the Snapchat app, a video showing them holding firearms while making threats to kill people – and to “take back this town,” according to court documents.

The agreement, in addition to sparing Mercer any jail time as long as he doesn’t violate any of its terms and remains on good behavior, also allowed him to enter a guilty plea to one Class A misdemeanor charge of criminal threatening – domestic violence.

Originally charged as a Class B felony, the charge was amended to a misdemeanor-level offense. It comes with a $50 fine, which Mercer has until April 6 to pay.

He was also sentenced to 12 months in jail, all suspended for three years on the condition of good behavior and compliance with the agreement.

If Mercer violates the terms and the court imposes the sentence, he will receive 141 days of credit for time already served.

He is also ordered to have no contact with the three other young men charged in the case: Nikolas Martin-Blanchette and Erik Hirshfeld, both 19 at the time, and Jacob Goulet, 18.

The agreement states Mercer must continue any recommended mental health treatment, and that he possess no firearms.

Prosecutors as part of the agreement agreed to dismiss the two felony counts of riot with which Mercer was initially charged.

The description of the misdemeanor criminal threatening charge as written in the amended form accuses Mercer of “making a video (involving) fake firearms and posting it online … putting a family member in imminent fear of bodily injury.”

Police said at the time of the four men’s arrests in November that their alleged conduct “recklessly created a substantial risk of causing public alarm … (by) purposely recording threatening crimes of violence verbally and through acts of conduct … while armed with firearms.”

Goulet, the youngest of the four, settled his case in January with a plea agreement, in which he entered guilty pleas to one count each of criminal threatening and criminal threatening – terrorize, which were reduced from felonies to Class A misdemeanors.

Goulet was sentenced to 12 months in jail, all suspended for three years, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, $750 of which was suspended for three years. He was ordered to take a tour of the State Prison as well.

A felony charge of riot was dismissed.

The status of the other two men’s cases wasn’t immediately available on Tuesday.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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