SouthCoast Drug Dealer Sentenced to State Prison

FALL RIVER — A drug dealer who lived in both Fairhaven and New Bedford has been sentenced to up to seven-and-a-half years in state prison.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III's Office says Zachary Lovegrove, 29, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last week to indictments charging him with two counts of trafficking heroin, and one count each of distribution of Suboxone, distribution of Xanax, and possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to serve a five to seven-and-a-half year prison term.

Fairhaven Police were conducting surveillance on November 4, 2016, at multiple commercial parking lots in the town after taking note of increased narcotics activity. Lovegrove was seen on several occasions on back to back days in parking lots acting suspiciously.

On November 4, police saw Lovegrove remove something from his pants and place it into the trunk of his car before driving away. Police discovered Lovegrove was driving with a suspended license and pulled the vehicle over. Lovegrove was arrested.

During a search of the vehicle, police seized 19 grams of a heroin/cocaine/Fentanyl mixture, 164 Xanax pills, 32 Suboxone strips, and over $1,000 in cash.

On September 22, 2017, while Lovegrove was out on $10,000 bail, he was arrested again with nearly 40 grams of a heroin/cocaine/Fentanyl mixture and a bag of cocaine. He had been arrested after Fairhaven Police learned that he was staying in town at a friend's home which he was using as a base of operations for selling drugs. Police established surveillance outside of the home and witnessed Lovegrove meeting with known drug users and selling them narcotics.

“The Fairhaven Police Department aggressively pursues drug dealers and suppliers and brings them to justice,” Fairhaven Police Chief Michael Myers said. “I would like to praise the work of our Fairhaven Police officers, our partners in municipal law enforcement and the prosecutors out of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, who brought this case to a successful conclusion.”

“This defendant was out on bail  when he was caught selling drugs once again. It is particularly disturbing that the drugs contained a very toxic mixture of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine which has led to an increase in fatal overdoses during the last several years. This defendant is a danger to the community and the public will be protected from him for up to seven and half years” District Attorney Quinn said. “I would like to thank the Fairhaven Police for their investigative efforts which led to the arrest and conviction of the defendant.”