Brockton Man Sentenced for Stolen Loaded Gun in Fall River

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Brockton man arrested in Fall River for carrying a loaded stolen firearm and 40 suboxone strips was sentenced to state prison.

According to District Attorney Thomas Quinn, Melvin Arias-Brown, 23, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with carrying a loaded illegal firearm, carrying an illegal firearm, receiving stolen property and possession of a Class B drug.

Arias-Brown was sentenced to serve three to five years in state prison.

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He was arrested on April 20, 2022; at the time, he had three separate warrants out for his arrest out of Brockton District Court, and was believed to be in possession of a firearm.

Massachusetts State Police were conducting surveillance in order to locate him, and saw Arias-Brown and a female leave a residence at 63 Snell Street in Fall River. The investigators followed them once they got into a vehicle. Once the vehicle stopped and the female exited, police approached the car.

Arias-Brown tried to escape but was apprehended and found with a loaded firearm in his waistband along with the 40 suboxone strips. The gun had been reported stolen to Avon Police on April 7, 2022.

“At the time of his arrest, (Arias-Brown) was also on probation out of Plymouth County Superior Court for a case involving a breaking and entering and larceny for which he did jail time,” the D.A.’s Office said. “The active warrants that were lodged against him around the time of his arrest in Fall River were all for firearm and armed robbery offenses.”

The D.A.’s Office said Arias-Brown has since been indicted in Plymouth County in connection to those cases.

“The facts and circumstances of this (Fall River) case are particularly disturbing. The defendant was on probation at the time of this offense and had multiple warrants out for him on similar serious felonies,” D.A. Quinn said.

“Despite all that, he was still in possession of a loaded illegal firearm on his waistband and presented a significant danger to the community and law enforcement,” Quinn said. “He clearly needs to be kept off the street to protect the public.”