PORTSMOUTH — A Greenland felon arrested last week for possessing a weapon and drugs is now facing 12 additional charges.

Joshua Nieves, 25, of 265 Portsmouth Ave., waived his probable cause hearing Wednesday in Portsmouth Circuit Court. His case will now move to Rockingham County Superior Court.

Nieves was arrested last Thursday after police learned that he had been convicted of armed robbery in 2004 and was barred from possessing any weapons.

A man arrested for theft the night before informed police that Nieves kept a MAC-11 automatic weapon in his vehicle and had threatened to shoot before returning to jail, according to court records. An ex-girlfriend of Nieves also told police that Nieves possessed weapons.

On Aug. 16, Nieves was arrested in the Gosling Meadows neighborhood of Portsmouth and the MAC-11 was allegedly found in his vehicle, wrapped in a blanket. Police allegedly found marijuana in a cigarette pack in Nieves pants pocket as well, according to court records.

A search warrant executed later that morning turned up more weapons and drugs at his home in Greenland and in his vehicle.

According to an inventory provided by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Forte, police also found marijuana, morphine, Clonazepam, Lorazapam, a leather “black jack,” a gold switchblade, a Dakota tri-blade, a black switchblade, a scale, ampules with residue, a film container with a razor blade, a film container with residue, pipes, a stun gun and $194 in cash.

The additional charges allege that Nieves possessed weapons in violation of a protective order and knowingly possessed weapons after having been previously convicted of a felony.

Nieves now faces six counts of felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, five counts of violating a protective order and five counts of possession of drugs. Seven of the new charges are felonies, and five are misdemeanors.

Nieves was convicted of armed robbery in 2004 in Hillsborough County and received a state prison sentence of 2 to 5 years.

In April, a protective order was filed against Nieves also prohibiting him from being in possession of firearms.

According to Greenland Police Chief Tara Laurent’s affidavit, on Aug. 15, Newington police arrested Stephen Welch for theft.

Welch told police that his girlfriend is Nieves’ ex-girlfriend, and both had seen Nieves with weapons, the MAC-11 and a 9 mm pistol.

Welch and the ex-girlfriend told police he kept it wrapped in a blanket in his vehicle.

Welch told police that Nieves had said he would “shoot before going back to jail” and that Cullen “Mutrie should have shot more officers.”

Mutrie shot four police officers and killed Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney when a drug task force team attempted to execute a search warrant on his Greenland home in April.

Nieves is being held on $100,000 cash bail.

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Gretyl Macalaster may be reached at gmacalaster@newstote.com.