In a recent operation that underscores the unyielding reality of domestic disturbances paralleling illicit armament possessions, Dartmouth police apprehended Nathan Faria, a 34-year-old from New Bedford, following a domestic violence incident reported at the Dartmouth Motor Inn. Officers who initially responded on the scene detained Faria, and subsequent investigations linked him to a prior domestic altercation in New Bedford, according to a statement from the Dartmouth Police Department.
The arrest unfolded on June 28, and led to the discovery of an array of illegal firearms and a stockpile of ammunition within Faria's truck; the search, executed under the authority of a warrant secured by Detective Derek Sousa of the Special Operations Division, relinquished an AR-15 assault rifle, a shotgun, and multiple high-capacity magazines among other items, a silencer also was recovered, alongside a staggering quantity of various calibers of ammunition, demonstrating a disregard for Massachusetts' stringent gun laws as Faria possesses no valid firearms license in the state or elsewhere.
Charged with grave offenses in both Dartmouth and New Bedford, Faria now faces numerous legal infractions including two counts of unlicensed firearm possession, possession of a silencer, possession of ammunition without the mandatory FID card, fifteen counts of possessing large capacity feeding devices, violating an abuse prevention order, these details were affirmed by policing bodies and accentuate the intertwined nature of domestic violence with the illegal holding of weaponry, an issue which the local enforcement is keenly pursuing to mitigate.
Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque, recognizing the significance of inter-agency cooperation, lauded the collaboration with the City of New Bedford Police Department, declaring, “the safety of our community remains our top priority, and we are committed to thoroughly investigating all reports of domestic violence and illegal firearms possession,” and he further asserted the preventive impact of the seizure affirming “the swift recovery of these firearms not only prevented further harm, but sent a clear message we will not tolerate this type of threat in our community,” the synergy between the departments evidently instrumental in the timely and effective resolution of this case.
