New Bedford Man Arrested With Assault Rifle, Thousands of Rounds in Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Dartmouth Police arrested a New Bedford man recently and seized two firearms and a large quantity of ammunition following a domestic disturbance at the Dartmouth Motor Inn.

Domestic Violence Call Sparks Investigation

According to Dartmouth Police, officers responded at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28 to the motel, located at 571 State Road, for the reported disturbance.

Upon arrival, officers detained Nathan Faria, 34, in connection with the incident.

“After further investigation, Faria was placed in custody in connection with a domestic violence incident that previously occurred in the City of New Bedford,” police said. “Following the arrest, the Dartmouth Police Department received credible information that Faria was in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition in his vehicle, a 2023 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck.”

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Guns and Ammunition Found in Truck

A search warrant was obtained for the truck, and the subsequent search turned up a Sig Sauer M400 AR-15 assault rifle and a VR80 12 gauge shotgun.

Also located: six fully loaded 30-round high capacity AR-15 magazines, five empty 30-round high capacity AR-15 magazines, four 10-round high capacity 12 gauge shotgun magazines, two five-round 12 gauge shotgun magazines, a silencer, and thousands of rounds of assorted .556 caliber, 12 gauge , 9MM, and .45 caliber ammunition.

“Faria does not possess a valid license to carry firearms in Massachusetts or any other state,” police said.

Faria Faces Multiple Charges in Two Cities

He is facing multiple charges from New Bedford Police regarding the domestic violence incident in that city, while Dartmouth Police have charged him with two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a silencer, possessing ammunition without an FID card, 15 counts of possessing a large-capacity feeding device, and violating an abuse prevention order.

Police Chief Responds to Arrest and Seizure

“The safety of our community remains our top priority, and we are committed to thoroughly investigating all reports of domestic violence and illegal firearms possession,” Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque said. “The swift recovery of these firearms not only prevented further harm but sent a clear message we will not tolerate this type of threat in our community.”