Bristol County teen held without bail after multiple firearms that could be accessed by children seized in Taunton

TAUNTON — The Taunton Police Department seized multiple large-capacity firearms following the execution of a search warrant at a residence on Somerset Avenue early Wednesday morning.

According to police, on Tuesday, after a lengthy investigation by Taunton Police Detective Brian Dunham, Detective Dunham applied for and received a search warrant for a residence on Somerset Ave.

On Wednesday, Detective Dunham and numerous other Taunton Police Department Detectives, with the specialized assistance of the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team, seized multiple large-capacity firearms following the execution of a search warrant at a residence on Somerset Avenue early Wednesday morning.

Police seized multiple, illegal large-capacity firearms, including:

• a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with a 17-round magazine and equipped with a flashlight/laser aiming device;
• a Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with a 30-round extended magazine and equipped with a flashlight/laser aiming device;
• a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 Pistol, .556-caliber, loaded with a high-capacity magazine and a “brass catcher” pouch used to collect expelled shell casings; and,
• a Mossberg .22-caliber long rifle with a defaced serial number and loaded with a high-capacity magazine and affixed with a laser-sighting device.

All of the firearms seized were not properly stored and could be accessed by children residing in the home. Each firearm was “large capacity,” meaning they could each hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Taunton Police arrested two individuals during execution of the search warrant.

A 17-year-old Taunton male was arrested and charged with Possession of a Firearm with a Defaced Serial Number, Improper Storage of a Large-Capacity Firearm Near a Minor (4 counts), Reckless Endangerment of Child (4 counts), Possession of a Large-Capacity Firearm (8 counts), and Possession of a Firearm Without an FID Card (8 counts).

19-year-old Jrese Jorge Matchem-Evora of Taunton was arrested and charged with Improper Storage of a Large-Capacity Firearm Near a Minor, Carrying a Loaded Firearm Without a License, Possession of a Large-Capacity Firearm (2 counts), Carrying a Firearm Without a License (2 counts), and Reckless Endangerment of Child (4 counts)

Court records show that at arraignment in Taunton District Court on Wednesday, Matchem-Evora pled not guilty and was held without bail with a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.