Months of quiet police work around Middleborough have culminated in six arrests, more than 320 grams of cocaine, over 50 grams of fentanyl and an assault-style rifle with large-capacity magazines off the street, according to police. The cases unfolded through a run of traffic stops and search warrants that started in January and stretched into mid-May, with officers calling the effort both long-running and resource-heavy.
In an update released Tuesday, the Middleborough Police Department laid out the results case by case and noted that patrol officers, detectives, narcotics investigators and regional partners all played a role, according to the Middleborough Police Department. Chief Robert Ferreira Jr. described the investigations as “time-intensive and resource-intensive,” pointing to a mix of surveillance, search warrants, traffic enforcement and coordinated follow-up as the backbone of the work.
The department’s activity report highlights several key arrests. On Jan. 9, officers executed a search warrant for Wesley Farinacci that turned up cocaine and fentanyl, and he was charged with possession with intent to distribute. A few days later, on Jan. 13, police stopped a vehicle driven by Mara Whitman and said they found about 35 grams of cocaine, leading to a trafficking charge. On Feb. 17, officers carried out a search involving Steven Irving and reported seizing roughly 40 grams of cocaine, an assault-style rifle and large-capacity feeding devices; Irving was later arrested on March 9 after, according to police, he fled from officers. Police also cited the April 5 arrest of David Dankers after recovering about 70 grams of cocaine and 12 grams of fentanyl, a May 4 arrest of Garret Murphy that police say involved about 86 grams of cocaine, and a motor-vehicle stop last Tuesday that led to the arrest of James Bako-Berry and the recovery of roughly 28 grams of cocaine and 33 grams of fentanyl, as reported by Newport Dispatch.
What officers recovered
Across the cluster of investigations, police say they seized more than 320 grams of cocaine, more than 50 grams of fentanyl, the assault-style firearm and large-capacity magazines. The department’s report also notes that Foxborough Police filed additional trafficking charges after Dankers’ May 13 arrest there, where officers reported seizing roughly 60 grams of cocaine, according to the Middleborough Police Department.
What the charges mean under state law
The people arrested are facing trafficking and related narcotics counts that hinge on drug weight under Massachusetts law. The state code divides trafficking into tiers based on net weight, such as a 10-gram threshold for fentanyl and a 36-to-99-gram tier for cocaine, and it sets mandatory minimum prison terms at certain levels, according to M.G.L. c.94C §32E. Any penalties would come only if prosecutors bring formal charges and a court finds a defendant guilty.
Statewide context
Middleborough’s recent narcotics work sits inside a larger statewide fentanyl emergency. Massachusetts public health data show fentanyl is detected in the vast majority of opioid-involved overdose deaths, a pattern that has shaped how both health officials and police approach the crisis. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s overdose reports and data dashboards lay out those trends and serve as a key guide for local strategy and prevention, according to the department’s published materials.
What happens next
The arrests open a series of criminal cases that will now work their way through the local courts, with all six defendants presumed innocent unless and until they are convicted. Police say investigations remain active and that they will continue coordinating with prosecutors as cases are referred, with additional court dates and filings expected in the coming weeks, as reported by Newport Dispatch.
