NBPD Detectives recently seized 10 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of fentanyl, a loaded Colt 32 caliber handgun, and more than $4000 at 383 Wood St.

Hector Abreu-Garcia, 26, 21 Warren St. Apt. #1, was charged with multiple firearms offenses, two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute, and conspiracy. This is a subsequent weapon offense for Abreu-Garcia, who was previously found guilty of possession of a firearm without a license in 2013.

Malik Cannon, 19, 383 Wood St. was charged with two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute, and conspiracy.

Detective Samuel Algarin-Mojica of the NBPD Gang Unit investigated the case.

Seismographic instruments at New Bedford Public Schools Sea Lab Marine Science Education Center register 3.6 earthquake near epicenter.

New Bedford Public Schools Sea Lab recorded a 4.2 earthquake, reduced to a 3.6 magnitude, on its three seismographs on Sunday, November 8, 2020. The earthquake lasted approximately 10 seconds. The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded a 4.2 magnitude earthquake in Buzzards Bay at 9:06 a.m., indicating the location of the epicenter as “11 kilometers south of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts”, which is approximately two miles south of Sea Lab.

Simone P. Bourgeois, Facilitator of the NBPS Sea Lab Marine Science Education Center, remarked that instrument sensors reacted vigorously, recording the sustained and pronounced surface waves felt across the region.

Sea Lab owns three seismographs and is a member of the Boston College Educational Seismology Program. New Bedford Public Schools has sponsored the study of seismology and global tectonics for all students matriculating through the Sea Lab Program, a nationally recognized science program of the district.

Ms. Bourgeois noted the seismographs are an important part of the program. “Sea Lab students record earthquakes nationally and internationally by pinning a world map on the exact location of the earthquake. Data is recorded for all local and international earthquakes. The process helps students identify the tectonic plates on earth’s surface.”

‘What’s Shaking?’– Seismographs at NBPS Sea Lab reacted vigorously to Sunday morning’s 3.6 earthquake. The epicenter was located about two miles south of Sea Lab. (NBPS photos)

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About Sea Lab
The Sea Lab Marine Science Education Center is funded through the New Bedford Public Schools for the perpetuation of real science activities. Sea Lab maintains a marine and aquatic educational facility servicing New Bedford Public School students interested in studying principles of oceanography, limnology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, geology, and biology as related to the marine and aquatic environments.

Researchers from across the globe publish resource that expands known diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44%.

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute announced a new project, the Genomes from Earth’s Microbiomes, that pulled together the research of more than 200 scientists and researchers to increase the known bacteria and archaea by 44%.

Among those researches was UMass Dartmouth Dean of Engineering and interim Dean of the School for Marine Science & Technology Jean VanderGheynst.

Despite advances in sequencing technologies and computational methods in the past decade, researchers have uncovered genomes for just a small fraction of Earth’s microbial diversity. Because most microbes cannot be cultivated under laboratory conditions, their genomes cannot be sequenced using traditional approaches. Identifying and characterizing the planet’s microbial diversity is key to understanding the roles of microorganisms in regulating nutrient cycles, as well as gaining insights into potential applications they may have in a wide range of research fields.

A public repository of 52,515 microbial draft genomes generated from environmental samples around the world, expanding the known diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44%, is now available in Nature Biotechnology. Known as the GEM (Genomes from Earth’s Microbiomes) catalog, this work results from a collaboration involving more than 200 scientists, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), and the DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase).

VanderGheynst’s contributions are related to her research on the discovery of industrial enzymes from compost microbiomes for the conversion of plant biomass to biofuels.

Metagenomics is the study of the microbial communities in the environmental samples without needing to isolate individual organisms, using various methods for processing, sequencing, and analysis. “Using a technique called metagenome binning, we were able to reconstruct thousands of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) directly from sequenced environmental samples without needing to cultivate the microbes in the lab,” noted Stephen Nayfach, the study’s first author and research scientist in Nikos Kyrpides’ Microbiome Data Science group. “What makes this study really stand out from previous efforts is the remarkable environmental diversity of the samples we analyzed.”

Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, head of the JGI Metagenome Program and senior author on the study elaborated on Nayfach’s comments. “This study was designed to encompass the broadest and most diverse range of samples and environments, including natural and agricultural soils, human- and animal-host associated, and ocean and other aquatic environments – that’s pretty remarkable.”

A 37-year-old Florida man wanted in connection with the recent disappearance of an 18-year-old Mashpee girl, last seen getting into his vehicle in New Bedford, died in Crestview, Florida last Thursday morning while US Marshall’s were attempting to take him into custody.

New Bedford Police, working in conjunction with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office, have been investigating the disappearance of Jalajhia Finklea since shortly after she went missing on October 20th.

Ms. Finklea was last seen in New Bedford getting into the Luis Zaragoza’s vehicle, which investigators learned he recently rented from Logan Airport in Boston. Zaragoza is also known to go by the alias, Luis Barbosa.

As a result of the ongoing investigation into this matter, police learned Ms. Finklea’s cell phone was last used to call the suspect shortly before she got into his vehicle. Further investigation determined that the Zaragoza turned off his own cell phone minutes after Ms. Finklea got into his rented vehicle.

During the course of the investigation, police were able to locate Ms. Finklea’s discarded cell phone on Route 140 in New Bedford, approximately five miles away from where she first entered into the suspect’s vehicle.

Police have been actively attempting to locate her and the suspect ever since. As a result of those efforts, police determined the suspect had left the state and travelled south along the eastern seaboard to Florida. The suspect then travelled to Texas before driving back to Florida. Police have been able to locate surveillance footage from some of the places the suspect travelled to during the course of the last two weeks, but none of the surveillance shows Ms. Finklea.

As police here in Massachusetts began to obtain more information about the suspect and his travels, the US Marshal’s were contacted to assist in the attempt to locate him and Ms. Finklea.

The US Marshal’s were able to succesfully locate the suspect last Wednesdsay night and began surveilling him. As the search for Ms. Finklea continued, police here in Massachusetts sought and obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect, charging him with kidnapping and larceny of a motor vehicle.

New Bedford Police detectives were en route to Florida Thursday morning as the US Marshal’s and an assisting Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to arrest the suspect at a McDonald’s parking lot in Crestview, Florida. The suspect, who was armed with a handgun, died during a confrontation with police.

The investigation into the shooting is being conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. All requests for information regarding that incident should be made to officials in Florida.

Investigators have yet to locate Ms. Finklea and the search for her continues at this hour. New Bedford Police and State Police detectives assigned to this office have been working tirelessly to locate Ms. Finklea and will continue to do so​. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the New Bedford Police Department Station 3 at 508-991-6360

Matt Murphy
State House News Service

The week began Monday with the state tracking 22,023 active cases of COVID-19 after public health officials reported 4,009 new cases of the coronavirus over the weekend and 43 new confirmed deaths from the disease.

The Department of Public Health reported on Sunday that 568 people were in the hospital for confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 144 patients who were in intensive care units. That was an increase of 55 patients hospitalized with the virus since Friday and 26 patients newly being treated in ICUs around the state.

The state reported a combined 172,858 new molecular tests on Saturday and Sunday, which put the state’s seven-day average positivity rate at 2.27 percent. When removing repeat higher education testing from the equation, the positivity rate over the past week was 3.92 percent.

This past weekend was the first since Gov. Charlie Baker put in place a new mandatory mask policy in public, and began imposing curfews on some businesses, forcing them to close by 9:30 p.m. so that people have time to return home and comply with the new statewide advisory that people remain in their homes from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. The new guidelines were put in place to slow what Baker has newly described as a second surge of COVID-19, with the seven-day average of new confirmed cases up 717 percent from a low of 157 a day and the average number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past week up 222 percent from a low of 155. The death toll from the virus now stands at 9,923 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Defendants Allegedly Transported Guns from Florida and Michigan to Sell in Massachusetts; Investigation also Uncovered Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms.

Six men have been indicted in connection with a major interstate gun trafficking operation after a joint state, federal, and local investigation led by Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office.

The investigation was led by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, in collaboration with MSP’s Gang Unit, MSP’s Troop D Community Action Team, the Bristol County State Police Detectives Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation revealed that the defendants were allegedly conspiring to transport firearms into Massachusetts from out of state, specifically from Florida and Michigan. During the course of the investigation, the AG’s Office also uncovered evidence of heroin and cocaine trafficking.

A Statewide Grand Jury returned indictments against the following individuals last week:

James Benassi, age 33, of New Bedford

Trafficking a Firearm (1 count)
Conspiracy to Transport a Firearm into the Commonwealth (1 count)
Carrying a Firearm (2 counts)
Possession of a Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Large Capacity Feeding Device (3 counts)
Improper Storage of a Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Ammunition (3 counts)
Intimidation of a Witness (1 count)
Trafficking in Heroin, more than 100g (1 count)
Trafficking in Cocaine, more than 100g (1 count)
Possession with Intent to Distribute Class E (1 count)

Justin Pena, age 33, of New Bedford

Possession of a Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Large Capacity Feeding Device (1 count)
Improper Storage of a Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Ammunition (2 counts)
Trafficking in Heroin, more than 100g (1 count)
Trafficking in Cocaine, more than 100g (1 count)
Possession with Intent to Distribute Class E (1 count)

Mathew Capozzi, age 37, of West Wareham
Conspiracy to Transport a Firearm into the Commonwealth (1 count)

Nicholas Ieronimo, age 33, of West Wareham
Conspiracy to Transport a Firearm into the Commonwealth (1 count)

Donald Ashcraft, age 38, of North Port, Florida

Transporting a Firearm into the Commonwealth (8 counts)
Trafficking a Firearm (1 count)
Conspiracy to Transport a Firearm into the Commonwealth (1 count)
Carrying a Firearm (7 counts)
Carrying a Loaded Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Large Capacity Feeding Device (8 counts)
Possession of Ammunition (6 counts)
Possession Class B (2 counts)
Possession Class E (1 count)

Craig Baier, age 39, of Bradenton, Florida

Transporting a Firearm into the Commonwealth (8 counts)
Trafficking a Firearm (1 count)
Conspiracy to Transport a Firearm into the Commonwealth (1 count)
Carrying a Firearm (7 counts)
Carrying a Loaded Firearm (1 count)
Possession of Large Capacity Feeding Device (8 counts)
Possession of Ammunition (6 counts)
Possession Class B (2 counts)
Possession Class E (1 count)

The defendants will be arraigned in Bristol and Plymouth Superior Courts on dates to be determined.

The AG’s Office alleges that Ashcraft and Baier transported numerous firearms across state lines, and that Benassi, Capozzi, and Ieronimo conspired with them to do so. Ashcraft, Baier, and Benassi are also each alleged to have trafficked a firearm. Baier and Ashcraft were arrested on July 28, 2020 with seven firearms in their possession, as well as ammunition and large capacity magazines. Subsequent investigation resulted in the coordinated execution of search warrants on August 20, 2020 at five locations, including Benassi and Pena’s residence, where investigators located two firearms, a large capacity magazine, ammunition and approximately 170 grams of cocaine. After continued investigation, investigators identified an additional location associated with Benassi, and on September 9, 2020 searched and discovered two more firearms, ammunition, a large capacity magazine, and approximately 118 grams of heroin/fentanyl for which Benassi and Pena face charges.

These charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Kaitlyn O’Leary and Caitlin McDermott of the AG’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division and was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, in collaboration with MSP’s Gang Unit, MSP’s Troop D Community Action Team, the Bristol County State Police Detectives Unit and ATF.

A former leader of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty on November 5 to firearms charges.

Damian Cornieles, a/k/a “Arnoldo Rodriguez,” 25, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2021. Cornieles was charged in December 2019, following the execution of a search warrant at his residence during which multiple firearms were recovered. At the time of the search, Cornieles was a member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Twenty of the Latin Kings leaders and members charged in that indictment have pleaded guilty.

As part of the operation, a search warrant was executed at Cornieles’ New Bedford residence, during which six firearms and ammunition were recovered. Following the search, Cornieles was charged separately. According to court documents, Cornieles was previously convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms. During today’s plea hearing, Cornieles admitted to being a member of the Latin Kings and a former leader of the gang. He also admitted that he stored the six firearms on behalf of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings.

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 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.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard, Mark Grady and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

“Boston Police Department Community Alert: The BPD is releasing an image of a person wanted in connection to a sexual assault which occurred earlier today, Sunday, November 8, 2020, at about 2:03 AM in the area of 2 Charles Street, Boston (The Public Garden).

Detectives have learned that the suspect encountered the victim in the area of Bromfield Street, where he forcefully brought her through the Boston Common into the Public Garden where he sexually assaulted her. Suspect is described as an unknown male.

The Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with any information is asked to call detectives directly at (617) 343-4400.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to help this investigation anonymously. If you are a victim of a sexual assault that has or has not been reported to police and would feel more comfortable seeking confidential advice from a non-law enforcement agency, the Boston Police Department encourages you to call the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) at 1 (800) 841-8371. BARCC provides free and confidential counseling, case management, legal, and medical advocacy services to survivors in the greater Boston area. To learn more, please click on the enclosed link: www.barcc.org.”

Boston Police Department photo.

By Katie Lannan
State House News Service

The election of seven new female state representatives this week is poised to boost women’s representation on Beacon Hill to a new high next session.

Sixty-two women — a dozen in the Senate and 50 in the House — won their elections Tuesday, meaning that women are set to hold 31 percent of the Legislature’s 200 seats when the new two-year term begins on Jan. 6, 2021.

Counting turnover that’s occurred through special elections, next year’s ranks of women lawmakers will be five more than the previous record of 57 at the start of this session in 2019, and 10 more than 52 seats held by women in 2017.

According to the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, a total of 213 women and more than 20,000 men have served in the Legislature. The first women elected to the Massachusetts House were Reps. Sylvia Donaldson of Brockton and Susan Fitzgerald of Jamaica Plain in 1923, and Sen. Sybil Holmes of Brookline was the first woman elected to the state Senate, 14 years later.

Women make up 51.5 percent of the Massachusetts population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

No female incumbents lost their reelection bids this year, and one woman — Lowell Democrat Vanna Howard — unseated a male incumbent, Rep. David Nangle, in the September primary.

The other six female representatives-elect, all Democrats, claimed open seats: Jessica Giannino of Revere, Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville, Patricia Duffy of Holyoke, Brandy Fluker Oakley of Boston, Meg Kilcoyne of Northborough and Sally Kerans of Danvers.

Kilcoyne will be the first woman to hold the 12th Worcester District seat, and Kerans is a former representative who served on Beacon Hill in the ’90s. When Kerans began her first term in 1991, there were 38 women in the state Legislature.

The House’s party breakdown among women in the new term is set to be 44 Democrats, five Republicans (Reps. Kimberly Ferguson of Holden, Susan Gifford of Wareham, Sheila Harrington of Groton, Hannah Kane of Shrewsbury, and Alyson Sullivan of Abington) and one unenrolled lawmaker, Athol Rep. Susannah Whipps.

In the Senate, all 12 women are Democrats who ran as incumbents, including Senate President Karen Spilka of Ashland. The last Republican woman to hold a state Senate seat in Massachusetts was Jo Ann Sprague of Walpole, who opted not to seek reelection in 2004.

WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT: From left, top: Supreme Judicial Court Justice Kimberly Budd, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka. Bottom: Auditor Suzanne Bump, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Attorney General Maura Healey, Congresswoman Katherine Clark. [SHNS and Courtesy Photos]
Seventy-six women, mostly Democrats, ran for state legislative offices in Massachusetts this year, down from the 79 who ran in 2018, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Women accounted for just over 29 percent of the country’s 7,383 state legislators in 2020, the center’s figures show, holding 521 seats in state senates and 1,641 in state houses of representatives or assemblies. Of the total 2,162 women legislators, 552 are women of color.

Nevada had the highest percentage of female representation, at 54 percent, and West Virginia’s 13.4 percent was the lowest, according to the center.

Nationwide, 17 women, including Spilka, lead state senates, and seven women are state house speakers. Massachusetts has never had a female speaker, a post filled by a vote among representatives at the start of each session.

The secretary of state’s office has also never been held by a woman, and while Acting Gov. Jane Swift in 2001 became the first woman to serve as governor, Bay State voters have never elected a woman to the corner office. Women do hold several other prominent roles in Massachusetts government.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito is one of four current female constitutional officers, along with Auditor Suzanne Bump, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Attorney General Maura Healey.

In 1999, Margaret Marshall became the first woman to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, and another woman is on track to step into that post. Gov. Charlie Baker last month nominated Associate Justice Kimberly Budd to serve as the next chief justice, and if confirmed she will become the first Black woman to lead the state’s highest court. Baker has nominated another woman, Appeals Court Judge Dalila Argaez Wendlandt. Aside from Budd, two other judges on the seven-seat SJC bench — Elspeth Cypher and Barbara Lenk — are women, and Lenk plans to retire next month.

Ninety-five years after Edith Nourse Rogers began her term as the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, the state has a female senator, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and three of its nine members of Congress are women — Reps. Katherine Clark, Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan.

Clark, a Melrose Democrat, is vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, making her the second highest-ranking woman in the U.S. House after Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She has said she intends to run for assistant speaker, which would move her up two rungs on the House leadership ladder and into the fourth position from the top after speaker, majority leader and whip.

The Pittsfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police are seeking a missing 13-year-old girl, Roos Bajanth.

We are investigating the possibility that Roos may be with a male she met online, and whose identity is not known to us at this time.

Roos left her home on Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield, last night around 8:30 PM and has not returned home. She is 5’5” tall and weighs 90 lbs. She has brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes.

She is believed to be wearing a brown winter jacket, a red shirt, and possibly pajamas.

Information suggests that Roos may have been in the Schenectady, N.Y., area earlier today, but whether she is still in that area remains part of the ongoing investigation.

Anyone who thinks they have seen Roos or has information on her whereabouts is urged to immediately call 911 or Pittsfield Police at 413-448-9700 ext. 0.

We ask that media in New York and Massachusetts please release this information as soon as possible.

The Massachusetts State Police are currently reviewing available information to determine if the criteria for an AMBER Alert are met. Regardless of whether an AMBER is ultimately activated, we have concern for Roos’ safety and well-being and ask that this information be publicized. Two photos of Roos are attached. The one in the white shirt is the more recent.