A former Boston Police Officer pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Boston in connection with committing over $20,000 in overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) evidence warehouse.

Officer James Carnes (retired), 57, of Canton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2021.

In September 2020, Carnes and eight other Boston Police Officers were arrested and charged for their roles in an overtime fraud scheme that is alleged to have collectively embezzled over $200,000 between May 2016 and February 2019.

Carnes admitted that between July 2016 and February 2019, he submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that he did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The first, called “purge” overtime, was a 4-8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The second shift, called “kiosk” overtime, involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.

For the “purge” shift, Carnes admitted that while he had claimed to have worked from 4-8 p.m., he and, allegedly, the other members of his unit routinely left at 6 p.m., or earlier. For the kiosk shift, Carnes admitted that while he and other members submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, he and, allegedly, other members of the unit only worked three to four hours of those shifts.

From 2016 through 2018, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.

The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

On Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at approximately 12:50 a.m., members of the Dartmouth Police Department responded to the Cumberland Farms located at #142 Rockdale Avenue, Dartmouth, regarding an assault and unarmed robbery.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with the male victim, who informed them that when he exited the store, he was attacked and beat by four (4) males.

After stealing $20 from the victim, the males fled the area in a black sedan. The victim received a minor injury to his head, and refused medical treatment.

Dartmouth Police detectives are currently investigating the incident.

“At approximately 7:20 p.m. on Saturday a Trooper assigned to the Troop A Community Action Team was patrolling Union Street in Lawrence when he observed a white Infiniti sedan make an illegal lane change and turn on to Essex Street. The Trooper activated his cruiser’s blue lights and stropped the vehicle.

Upon the Infiniti coming to a full stop the Trooper approached it and informed the operator why he was stopped. While walking up to the vehicle the Trooper observed the passenger, later identified as JEREMIAH VEGA, 18, of Lawrence, put his seatbelt on. The Trooper gathered the information for both occupants then returned to his cruiser to conduct an electronic inquiry.

During the investigation on scene Troopers suspected VEGA was providing a false name and date of birth. VEGA was removed from the vehicle for further questioning. A pat-frisk of his person was conducted at which point Troopers located a Glock 19 pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition. VEGA eventually provided his true identity, it was confirmed he does not possess a license to carry firearms. Troopers also observed the serial number on the firearm to be defaced.

VEGA was placed under arrest and escorted to the rear of a cruiser. He was booked then transported to the Andover Barracks where a bail commissioner was contacted and set bail at $100,000. VEGA was scheduled for arraignment at Lawrence District Court on the following charges:

1. Possession of a Firearm;
2. Carrying a Loaded Firearm;
3. Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device; and
4. Possession of a Firearm with Defaced Serial Number.”

In a three-week period beginning March 28 Troopers assigned to the Midnight Shift at State Police-Middleboro removed four illegally possessed firearms from separate traffic stops resulting in the arrest of three men and a court summons to a fourth.

Incident #1: Shortly after 6 a.m. on March 28 a Trooper responded to 911 calls of an erratic vehicle on Route 24 southbound in the Taunton area. The Trooper took up a strategic position and waited for the vehicle to approach her location. She was able to observe the vehicle then immediately entered traffic and initiated a motor vehicle stop. Upon the vehicle coming to a full stop the Trooper approached it and identified the operator as CARLOS SILVA, 40, of Newport, R.I.

The Trooper informed SILVA why he was stopped then began to notice signs of impairment and suspected SILVA to be under the influence of intoxicating alcohol. After subsequent investigation on scene the Trooper searched the vehicle and located a loaded revolver in the center console. SILVA does not possess a license to carry firearms and was placed under arrest then transported to the barracks for booking. He was scheduled for arraignment at Fall River District Court on the following charges: Possession of a Firearm, Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Possession of Ammunition without FID, Operating Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor, Possession of a Class D Substance with Intent to Distribute, Negligent Operation of a Vehicle, Speeding, and Marked Lanes Violation.

Incident #2: On April 10 at approximately 2:20 a.m. a Trooper was patrolling Route 495 northbound in Middleboro when he observed a vehicle traveling much higher than the posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour. The Trooper was able to clock the vehicle at 120 mph then activated his blue lights and initiated a motor vehicle stop. The Trooper approached the vehicle and identified the operator as a 21-year-old man from Assonet. While speaking to him the Trooper noticed he was distraught and requested an ambulance to respond to the scene.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

The operator was eventually transported to an area hospital for treatment at which point a tow truck was dispatched to remove the vehicle from the scene. During the pre-tow vehicle inventory, the Trooper located a pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition. The pistol was not marked with any serial numbers. The Trooper responded to the hospital to continue his investigation and confirmed the operator did not possess a license to carry firearms.

He was eventually issued a criminal summons. He will be scheduled for arraignment at Wareham District Court on the following charges: Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device, and Possession of Ammunition without FID Card.

Incident #3: Just after midnight on April 13, a Trooper observed a speeding vehicle on Route 24 southbound in Bridgewater. While clocking the vehicle’s speed she observed it cross over a lane marking at which point she activated her cruiser’s emergency lights and initiated a motor vehicle stop. After the vehicle came to a full stop she informed the operator, identified as KERRY LORQUET, 34, of Taunton, why he was stopped and began an investigation.

She observed numerous indications of possible firearms and narcotics in the vehicle leading to an eventual search of the immediate area where LORQUET was seated. During the search, Troopers located a plastic baggy containing a substance suspected to be Heroin. She also located a small digital scale and a butterfly knife. These items led to a full search of the vehicle after which Troopers located a loaded revolver. LORQUET does not possess a license to carry firearms. He was placed under arrest and transported to the barracks for booking.

He was scheduled for arraignment at Brockton District Court on the following charges: Carrying a Dangerous Weapon 2nd Offense, Possession of a Firearm, Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Possession of a Firearm with 3 Prior Violent/Drug Crimes, Possession of a Class B Substance with Intent to Distribute Subsequent Offense, Possession of a Class A Substance, Possession of a Class D Substance with Intent to Distribute Subsequent Offense, Disorderly Conduct, Speeding, and Marked Lanes Violation.

Incident #4: Finally, just before 3 a.m. on April 18 a Trooper observed a vehicle traveling at speeds over 100 miles per hour on Route 24 southbound in Brockton. She immediately activated her cruiser’s emergency lights and initiated a motor vehicle stop. Upon the vehicle coming to a full stop she approached it and identified the operator as LUIS ALVES, 34, of Brockton. The Trooper observed signs of impairment on ALVES and also noticed an open beer bottle half spilled on the floor of the vehicle.

The Trooper removed ALVES from the vehicle and conducted a pat-frisk of his person prior to beginning field sobriety testing. She immediately felt what she recognized as a firearm in his pocket. ALVES does not possess a license to carry firearms and was placed under arrest. After conducting a search of his vehicle Troopers located multiple baggies containing a substance suspected to be Cocaine.

ALVES was transported to the barracks for booking. He was scheduled for arraignment at Brockton District Court on the following charges: Operating Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor and Drugs, Possession of a Class B Substance with Intent to Distribute, Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Possession of Ammunition without FID Card, Open Container of Alcohol in Vehicle, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Speeding, and Marked Lanes Violation.

“On April 25 at 19:20 a shot spotter activation came in at 166 Chancery St. for seven rounds fired. A single call came in around the same time saying they heard gunshots near King Village West.

Downtown Units were notified and dispatched to the area. After arriving on-scene and investigating, no property damage or victims were located by the responding units.

A bolo was issued for a possible suspect: thin build male, black and white sweatshirt, black sweatpants running west from the playground.”

Scammers advertise jobs the same way legitimate employers do—online (in ads, on job sites, college employment sites, and social media), in newspapers, and sometimes on TV and radio. They promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information.

Fake Job or Employment Scams occur when criminal actors deceive victims into believing they have a job or a potential job. Criminals leverage their position as “employers” to persuade victims to provide them with personally identifiable information (PII), become unwitting money mules, or to send them money.

Fake Job Scams have existed for a long time but technology has made this scam easier and more lucrative. Cybercriminals now pose as legitimate employers by spoofing company websites and posting fake job openings on popular online job boards. They conduct false interviews with unsuspecting applicant victims, then request PII and/or money from these individuals. The PII can be used for any number of nefarious purposes, including taking over the victims’ accounts, opening new financial accounts, or using the victims’ identity for another deception scam (such as obtaining fake driver’s licenses or passports).

Criminals first spoof a legitimate company’s website by creating a domain name similar in appearance to a legitimate company. Then they post fake job openings on popular job boards that direct applicants to the spoofed sites. Applicants can apply on the spoofed company websites or directly on the job boards. Applicants are contacted by email to conduct an interview using a teleconference application. According to victims, cybercriminals impersonate personnel from different departments, including recruiters, talent acquisition, human resources, and department managers.

Cybercriminals executing this scam request the same information as legitimate employers, making it difficult to identify a hiring scam until it is too late. Some indications of this scam may include:

• Interviews are not conducted in-person or through a secure video call.
• Interviews are conducted via teleconference applications that use email addresses instead of phone numbers.
• Potential employers contact victims through non-company email domains and teleconference applications.
• Potential employers require employees to purchase start-up equipment from the company.
• Potential employers require employees to pay upfront for background investigations or screenings.
• Potential employers request credit card information.
• Potential employers send an employment contract to physically sign asking for PII
• Job postings appear on job boards, but not on the companies’ websites.
• Recruiters or managers do not have profiles on the job board, or the profiles do not seem to fit their roles.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 16,012 people reported being victims of employment scams in 2020, with losses totaling more than $59 million. In 2020, Texas reported 1,720 victims reported $4.5 million in losses. There were 69 victims in El Paso totaling $721,600 in losses. As of March 5, 2021, 2,349 victims had already reported $5 million in losses nationwide, 244 victims in the state of Texas with a loss of $1.5 million. In El Paso, there were eight victims reporting $31,928 in losses. Midland/Odessa reported 10 incidents in 2020 totaling $71,500 and zero complaints in 2021. The average reported loss was nearly $3,000 per victim, in addition to damage to the victims’ credit scores.

How to Protect Yourself

• Conduct a web search of the hiring company using the company name only. Results that return multiple websites for the same company (abccompany.com and abccompanyllc.com) may indicate fraudulent job listings.
• Legitimate companies will ask for PII and bank account information for payroll purposes AFTER hiring employees. This information is safer to give in-person. If in-person contact is not possible, a video call with the potential employer can confirm identity, especially if the company has a directory against which to compare employee photos.
• Never send money to someone you meet online, especially by wire transfer.
• Never provide credit card information to an employer.
• Never provide bank account information to employers without verifying their identity.
• Do not accept any job offers that ask you to use your own bank account to transfer their money. A legitimate company will not ask you to do this.
• Never share your Social Security number or other PII that can be used to access your accounts with someone who does not need to know this information.
• Before entering PII online, make sure the website is secure by looking at the address bar. The address should begin with “https://”, not “http://”. However: criminals can also use “https://” to give victims a false sense of security. A decision to proceed should not be based solely upon the use of “https://”.

If you are a victim of an employment scam, the FBI recommends taking the following actions:

• Report the activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or the FBI El Paso Office at (915) 832-5000.
• Report the activity to the website in which the job posting was listed.
• Report the activity to the company the cyber criminals impersonated.

Contact your financial institution immediately upon discovering any fraudulent or suspicious activity and direct them to stop or reverse the transactions.

Ask your financial institution to contact the corresponding financial institution where the fraudulent or suspicious transfer was sent.

If you believe you, or someone you know, is a victim of an employment scam, please contact the FBI El Paso Field Office at (915) 832-5000 or visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

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El FBI Advierte Sobre Delincuentes Cibernéticos Que Anuncian Empleos Falsos Para Robar Su Información Personal

Existen estafadores que publican puestos falsos de trabajo de la misma manera en que empleadores legítimos lo hacen, por medio del Internet (anuncios, sitios de trabajo, sitios de trabajo de colegios, y medios sociales), por periódicos, y a veces por medios de la radio y televisión. Prometen un trabajo, pero lo que buscan es obtener su dinero y su información personal.

Un empleo falso o engaño de empleo es cuando los delincuentes hacen creer a sus víctimas que tienen un trabajo o que existe la posibilidad de un empleo para ellos. Los delincuentes se hacen pasar como “Empleadores” para persuadir a sus víctimas a proveerles información personal identificable (PII) para convertirlos en mulas de dinero, o para que les envíen dinero a ellos.

Los engaños de trabajos falsos han existido por mucho tiempo, pero la tecnología ha facilitado este tipo de fraude y lo ha hecho más lucrativo. Los delincuentes cibernéticos ahora se hacen pasar por empleadores legítimos al falsificar los sitios web de compañías y publican ofertas falsas de trabajo en sitios populares del Internet. Llevan a cabo entrevistas falsas con las víctimas y luego les piden dinero o su identificación personal. Su identificación personal puede ser utilizada en un sinnúmero de propósitos maliciosos, incluyendo el tomar posesión de sus cuentas bancarias, abrir nuevas cuentas bancarias, o utilizar la identidad de la víctima para otros fraudes engañosos (obtener licencias de conducir fraudulentas o pasaportes).

Los delincuentes inicialmente logran falsificar el sitio web de una compañía legítima para crear un dominio web similar en apariencia al de la compañía legítima. Luego crean portales falsos de empleo en sitios web populares que dirigen a los solicitantes a los sitios web que falsificaron. Los interesados hacen su solicitud en estos sitios web que falsificaron o en los portales de trabajo. Los solicitantes son contactados por correo electrónico para llevar a cabo la entrevista utilizando una aplicación para una teleconferencia. De acuerdo a varias víctimas, los delincuentes cibernéticos se hacen pasar por personal de diferentes departamentos, incluyendo reclutadores, agentes de adquisición de talento, personal de recursos humanos y gerentes de departamentos.

Los delincuentes cibernéticos que ejecutan este fraude piden la misma información que los empleadores legítimos, lo cual dificulta el poder detectar el fraude de empleo hasta que ya es muy tarde.

Algunas indicaciones de este fraude pueden incluir:

• Las entrevistas no se hacen en persona o por medio de una video llamada segura.
• Las entrevistas se hacen a través de aplicaciones de teleconferencia que usan correo electrónico en lugar de números telefónicos.
• Los supuestos empleadores se comunican con las víctimas por medio de dominios de correos electrónicos o aplicaciones de teleconferencia que no son de una compañía.
• Los supuestos empleadores requieren que sus aspirantes compren equipo de la compañía antes de comenzar a trabajar.
• Los supuestos empleadores requieren que los aspirantes paguen de antemano por investigaciones de antecedentes o evaluaciones.
• Los supuestos empleadores piden información de su tarjeta de crédito.
• Los supuestos empleadores envían un contrato físico de empleo para que lo firmen y provean información personal identificable (PII).
• Los portales de trabajo aparecen en los sitios de trabajo por Internet, pero no en los sitios web de las compañías.
• Los perfiles de los reclutadores o gerentes no aparecen en los portales de trabajo por Internet o no concuerdan con sus puestos.

De acuerdo con el Internet Crime Complaint Center del FBI (IC3), 16,012 personas reportaron ser víctimas de ofertas fraudulentas de trabajo en el 2020; esas pérdidas suman a más de 59 millones de dólares. En el 2020, Texas reportó 1,720 víctimas y 4.5 millones de dólares en pérdidas. Hubo 69 víctimas en El Paso y pérdidas de 721,600 dólares. Para el 5 de marzo del 2021, ya había 2,349 víctimas y pérdidas de 5 millones de dólares a través del país; de estas, 244 víctimas en el estado de Texas con una pérdida de 1.5 millones de dólares. Hubo ocho víctimas en El Paso con 31,928 dólares en pérdidas. Midland/Odessa reportó 10 incidentes en el 2020 con pérdidas de 71,500 de dólares y cero quejas en el 2021. El promedio de pérdidas reportadas es de casi 3,000 dólares por víctima, sin mencionar el daño ocasionado a su calificación de crédito.

Cómo Protegerse

• Conduzca una búsqueda de la compañía que ofrece el trabajo utilizando únicamente el nombre de la compañía. Si los resultados revelan múltiples sitios de Internet para la misma compañía (abccompany.com y abccompanyllc.com), esto pudiera indicar una oferta de trabajo falsa.
• Las compañías legítimas pedirán su información personal identificable e información de su cuenta bancaria para el propósito de nóminas salariales DESPUÉS de haber contratado al empleado. Esta información es más segura darla en persona. Si el contacto en persona no es posible, una video llamada con el empleador puede confirmar la identidad, especialmente si la compañía tiene un directorio para comparar las fotos de sus empleados.
• Nunca envié dinero a alguien que conoce por Internet, especialmente por una transferencia bancaria electrónica.
• Nunca provea su información de tarjeta de crédito a su empleador.
• Nunca provea información de su cuenta bancaria a empleadores sin antes verificar su identidad.
• No acepte ofertas de trabajo que le pidan usar su cuenta bancaria para ellos hacer transferencias de dinero. Una compañía legítima jamás le pedirá que haga esto.
• Nunca comparta su número de Seguro Social u otra forma de información personal que pudiera utilizarse para tener acceso a sus cuentas bancarias con alguien que no tiene la necesidad de saber esta información.
• Antes de proveer su información personal identificable por Internet, asegúrese que el sitio web sea seguro mirando la dirección del sitio web. La dirección debe comenzar con https:// y no con http://.
• Sin embargo: Los delincuentes pudieran también usar el https:// para dar a las víctimas una sensación falsa de seguridad. La decisión de continuar no debe basarse únicamente en el uso de https://.

Si es víctima de ofertas de empleos fraudulentos, el FBI recomienda que tome las siguientes medidas:

• Reporte el incidente al Internet Crime Complaint Center en www.ic3.gov o a la Oficina del FBI en el Paso al (915) 832-5000.
• Reporte el incidente al sitio web donde la oferta de empleo fue anunciada.
• Reporte el incidente a la compañía que los delincuentes cibernéticos personificaron.
• Comuníquese con su institución financiera de inmediato al descubrir algún fraude o actividad sospechosa y solicite que detengan o reviertan las transacciones.
• Pídale a su institución financiera que se comunique con la institución financiera correspondiente donde el fraude o la transferencia sospechosa fue enviada.

Si usted cree que usted o alguien que conoce fue víctima de un engaño de empleo, por favor comuníquese con la Oficina del FBI en El Paso al (915) 832-5000 o visite el Internet Crime Complaint Center del FBI en ic3.gov.

Federal agencies do not threaten individuals or demand immediate payment

The FBI Boston Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers targeting New Englanders through unsolicited telephone calls in which the caller claims to be a representative of a government agency, including the FBI.

Be advised, federal agencies do not call or email individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even if they appear to be coming from an agency’s legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call.

There are many versions of the government impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. Typically, the caller advises the recipient of the call that charges have been, or soon will be, filed against them, and threatens to confiscate the recipient’s property, freeze their bank accounts, or have them arrested unless payment is made immediately. If the recipient questions the caller, the caller becomes more aggressive. The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees or court costs to resolve the matter, and the caller typically instructs people to wire “settlement” money or provide payment via prepaid cards or gift cards to avoid arrest.

“Nobody wants to be the subject of a law enforcement investigation, and scammers are using that to their advantage to try and intimidate people into just handing over their hard-earned money. We’re asking you not to fall for it,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “It’s important to resist the urge to act immediately and verify who is actually contacting you.”

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 12,827 people reported being victims of government impersonation scams in 2020, with losses totaling $109,938,030. Here in the Boston Division, which includes all of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, 405 complaints were filed with financial losses totaling $3,789,407.

• 44 victims in Maine reported financial losses totaling $32,252.
• 270 victims in Massachusetts reported financial losses totaling $3,254,895.
• 38 victims in New Hampshire reported losing $89,382.
• 53 victims in Rhode Island lost approximately $412,878.

The FBI will never:

• Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
• Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
• Ask you for wire transfers or gift cards.
• Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.

Scams impersonating the FBI and other government agencies are a persistent problem and can also occur via email. Common hallmarks of a scam email include misspellings, missing words, and incorrect grammar. Fraudulent emails may give the appearance of legitimacy by using pictures of the FBI Director and/or the FBI seal and letterhead.

Members of the public seeking to confirm that they have been contacted by an actual FBI employee are encouraged to call the FBI Boston Division at 857-386-2000 and ask to be connected directly.

To avoid becoming a victim of this scam, be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize. Do not send money to anybody that you do not personally know and trust. Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.

If you think you are a victim of this scam and suffered a financial loss, please file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

All types of fraud schemes and scams (even if there is no financial loss) should be reported to IC3. Filing a complaint allows analysts from the FBI to identify leads and patterns from the hundreds of complaints that are received daily. The IC3 then refers the complaints, along with their analyses, to the relevant law enforcement agency to aid in public awareness and crime-prevention education efforts.

“Sheriff Hodgson sent us these pictures from his trip to the southern border this week. He’s meeting with Sheriffs from across the country in Arizona to discuss the border crisis and the public safety impacts of illegal immigration.

Four times during the Thursday morning edition of Fox & Friends, the show will air some of that conversation, so tune in and check out America’s Sheriffs at the border.

Where do you stand on the border crisis and the immigration issue? Let your voice be heard by leaving a comment, sending us a DM, or sending Sheriff Hodgson an email to info@bcso-ma.org.”

Bristol County Sheriff’s Office photo.

Bristol County Sheriff’s Office photo.

“At approximately 1 a.m. today Trooper Tiery Cazeau, assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Tunnels Barracks, observed a scooter being illegally operated on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. Trooper Cazeau activated his cruiser’s emergency lights and stopped the scooter. He approached the operator, later identified as SCOTT CARTY, 33, of Webster, and gathered his information. Additional cruisers then arrived on scene to assist.

Initially, CARTY provided a false name to Trooper Cazeau; however, through investigation on scene Troopers were able to locate an electronic RMV record and positively identify CARTY. During their investigation Troopers located multiple Massachusetts driver’s licenses and credit cards in CARTY’s wallet that did not belong to him. They were able to confirm, through the RMV electronic record, that CARTY’s license was suspended and that he had three warrants for his arrest. They also discovered the scooter was reported stolen in Boston approximately one week earlier.

After a search of CARTY’s backpack Troopers located a large amount of a crystal-like substance suspected to be crystal methamphetamine. The substance was packaged in multiple baggies and weighed a combined 242 grams. CARTY was placed under arrest and transported to the Tunnels Barracks for booking. A bail commissioner was contacted and ordered CARTY to be held without bail. He was scheduled for arraignment at Boston Municipal Court on the following charges:

1. Trafficking in Methamphetamine;
2. Possession of Stun Gun;
3. Operating a Motor Vehicle with Suspended License;
4. Providing False Name to Police;
5. Motor Vehicle Operator Refuse to Identify Self;
6. Receiving Stolen Motor Vehicle; and
7. Helmet Violation.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

On April 15, New Bedford Police Department Narcotics and Gang Detectives seized 287.5 grams of fentanyl at 349 Park St., Apt. #2.

47-year old Esequiel Quinones of 349 Park St., Apt. #2, and 36-year old Brenda Hernandez of 349 Park St., Apt. #2, were arrested and charged with trafficking in fentanyl.

Quinones has numerous prior convictions for narcotics distribution. His last conviction was in 2015 for trafficking Oxycodone. He currently has an open case in New Bedford District Court for distributing class B.

Detective Matthew Sylvia investigated the case.

If you have any information on criminal activity in your neighborhood, the New Bedford Police Dept. wants to hear from you. You can leave an anonymous tip on our voicemail at (508) 991-6300 Ext. 1.