Fall River Drug and Gun Defendant Sentenced to Five to Seven Years State Prison

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
September 14, 2016

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced today that a a 25-year-old Fall River repeat felon will serve five to seven years in state prison after being convicted last week of drug distribution and illegal firearm charges.

Shawn Rose submitted an “unagreed plea” to Judge Rafi Yessayan in Fall River Superior Court to charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin, illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.During the sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane argued that based on the defendant’s history of convictions and the facts of this case, he should be sentenced to seven to 10 years in state prison. The defendant’s attorney, John Dingee, however, recommended a three to five year state prison sentence.

After hearing from both sides, Judge Yessayan handed down a five to seven year state prison sentence, and also placed the defendant on two years probation.
After an extensive investigation by Fall River Police Vice & Intelligence Unit Detective Louis Duarte, police were able to obtain a search warrant fro the defendant’s residence. When police executed the search warrant on April 13, 2015, an officer observed the defendant, who was in his bedroom, remove a silver, shiny object from his waistband and drop it out the window. An officer, who was outside, recovered a .32 caliber revolver outside of the window. A search of the defendant’s bedroom revealed 150 bags of heroin, 5 bags of heroin in the defendant’s nightstand, two full boxes of unused glassine bags, and four rounds of ammunition.

The defendant was previously convicted of armed robbery and armed assault to rob for being a driver for his friend who committed two robberies with a gun. The defendant was previously sentenced to serve three years in state prison for the armed robbery and assault to rob charges.

“This is a repeat felon, who is found to be dealing heroin while possessing an illegal firearm. His record, in my view, warranted a longer period of incarceration in this case,” District Attorney Quinn said. “These are the types of defendants who continue to reek havoc in our communities and must be punished accordingly.”

Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
508-997-0711
774-292-9576—cell