New Bedford Drug Dealer and Illegal Gun User Sentenced To A Decade in Prison

A 24-year-old New Bedford man arrested twice during the past two years while in possession of an illegal firearm and large quantities of narcotics packaged for street sale was convicted of a litany of felony charges in Fall River Superior Court last week and sentenced to serve up to a decade in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Jonathan Hernandez pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment, charging him with two counts of trafficking cocaine, and one count each of possessing an illegal firearm, receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a class E drug with intent to distribute and possession of Oxycodone.

On May 16, 2016, New Bedford Police executed a search warrant at the defendant’s 10 Granfield Street apartment. During the execution of the search warrant, police recovered $1,651 in cash, a stolen .38 caliber S&W revolver, 11 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition, approximately 92 grams of crack cocaine, 30 grams of powder cocaine and indicia of dealing.

At the time of his arrest, the defendant was 21 years old, but had already been convicted of leaving the scene of personal injury and armed robbery.

The defendant was released after arraignment in New Bedford District Court on $20,000 bail.

Then, while the 2016 case was still pending, on January 19, 2018, New Bedford Police executed a search warrant at the defendant’s 1 Cottage Street apartment. Police recovered 30.3 grams of cocaine, 15.2 grams of heroin, 5 oxycodone tablets and 65 Gabapentin capsules. Some of the items were found secreted in the defendant’s buttocks. There was also indicia of drug dealing found within the apartment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane and Co-First Assistant District Attorney Karen O’Sullivan, and the seven to ten year state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Thomas McGuire.

“The defendant has a violent history and continues to sell drugs while illegally possessing a firearm,” District Attorney Quinn said. “He is a danger to the community and needs to be kept off the streets for a long time to protect the public.”