New Bedford 'Significant' Seizure of Drugs, Guns and Cash

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — A New Bedford man has been arrested following what police are calling a “significant” seizure of with four guns, over 500 grams of assorted drugs and nearly $80,000 in cash.

According to police, investigators executed a search warrant on Monday, January 8 at 818 Tarkiln Hill Road, with the target of the search being Earl Garner, 32.

Police said as a result of the search, Garner was allegedly found in possession of 396 grams of cocaine, 142 grams of fentanyl, 4.6 grams of crack cocaine and Suboxone strips. Police said they also found cutting agents, packaging materials, digital scales and other items associated with drug dealing, along with $79,932 in cash.

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Police also said they discovered four firearms in the residence: an AK pistol with a 30-round magazine, a .380 Smith & Wesson handgun, and two 9mm pistols along with magazines and over 400 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. According to police, the .380 was later found to have been stolen out of Georgia.

Garner is charged with a variety of offenses including trafficking in excess of 200 grams of cocaine, trafficking in excess of 100 grams of fentanyl, and four counts of firearm possession.

Police said Garner has previous convictions for firearms-related charges out of Brockton District Court as well as Bristol Superior Court, and at the time of his arrest, he had an open case in Malden District Court for carrying a firearm without a license. He was also on an electronic monitoring bracelet.

“I’m very pleased to see that such a sizable amount of harmful narcotics and illegal firearms were taken off of our streets with this arrest,” Police Chief Paul Oliveira said. “Mr. Garner’s prior convictions and ongoing case leave me with little doubt that incarceration is necessary to halt his criminal activities. Now that these officers have done their job, we look toward our partner organizations within the criminal justice system to fulfill their roles.”