New Bedford detectives working with Massachusetts State Police say a Thursday search of a home and its connected garage turned up a small arsenal alongside suspected narcotics, ending with a 36-year-old man in custody. Investigators report seizing a polymer80-style “ghost gun,” several shotguns and rifles, two large-capacity magazines, about 16.9 grams of cocaine, roughly 55 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, dozens of Suboxone strips and assorted packaging materials. The suspect, identified by police as Steven Ellis, was arrested at the scene and is now facing a slate of criminal charges.
Joint investigation led to the arrest
The arrest capped a joint investigation by the New Bedford Police Department’s Violent Crime Intelligence Unit and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit into alleged narcotics distribution. According to Newport Dispatch, officers serving search warrants found packaging materials inside the residence that they say are consistent with drug distribution and removed firearms that were registered to a different individual. The outlet also reported that Ellis does not hold a Massachusetts License to Carry or Firearm Identification card.
What officers recovered
In the garage, police say they uncovered a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, a Springfield shotgun, a Remington shotgun, a .22 pistol with its serial number defaced and a Polymer80 ghost-style frame. Officers also reported finding a taser, ammunition and two large-capacity magazines. On the drug side of the ledger, investigators seized approximately 16.9 grams of cocaine, 55 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and 96 Suboxone film strips, along with packaging materials described as consistent with narcotics distribution. Those details were outlined by Country Herald.
Charges filed
Ellis now faces a long list of charges, including two counts of possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance and one count of possession of a Class C substance. Police charged him with six counts of carrying a firearm without a license, along with defacing a firearm serial number and possessing an untraceable firearm. He is also charged with five counts of possession of ammunition without an FID card and two counts tied to large-capacity feeding devices. The full charge list was reported by Newport Dispatch.
Legal context
Massachusetts adopted sweeping firearm reforms in 2024 that specifically target unserialized or untraceable ghost guns, requiring that firearms made or assembled in the state be serialized and registered to help law enforcement tackle homemade weapons. Mass.gov notes the law also broadened the state’s Red Flag statute and tightened restrictions on large-capacity feeding devices. Drug crimes such as possession with intent to distribute fall under Chapter 94C of the Massachusetts General Laws, which sets out classifications and penalties for controlled substances, including Class B and Class C drugs, and can impose stiffer penalties when offenses involve trafficking or distribution, according to the Massachusetts General Court.
What happens next
Reports have not yet listed an arraignment date for Ellis, and the case is expected to wind through the local court system as prosecutors review the evidence and finalize formal filings. Fairhaven police, who issued the license for the firearms registered to the third party, have suspended that individual’s license to carry while the investigation continues. Authorities, as cited by Country Herald, are encouraging anyone with additional information to contact the New Bedford Police Department tip line.
