Multi-week investigation by Dartmouth, Fall River Police, results in city man being held without bail

Dartmouth, MA – Investigators from the Dartmouth Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, in partnership with the Fall River Police Department’s Community Action Suppression Team, have wrapped up a multi-week probe into drug activity, leading to the apprehension of a Fall River resident on several trafficking offenses.

According to Dartmouth Police, the focus of the investigation was Dedric Rhodes, 31, of Fall River.

After thorough detective work, officers secured a search warrant for Rhodes’ residence on Kilburn Street in Fall River.

During the warrant’s execution, Rhodes was detained peacefully. The Fall River Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU) entered and cleared the premises.

A joint search by detectives from both agencies yielded the following:

• About 16 grams of suspected fentanyl
• Around 10 grams of suspected powder cocaine
• Approximately 19 grams of suspected crack cocaine
• $690 in cash
• Scales and materials commonly used for packaging illegal drugs

Based on the findings and evidence, Rhodes was arrested and faces charges including:

• Trafficking fentanyl in excess of 10 grams
• Trafficking cocaine in 18 grams or more

Rhodes was brought to Dartmouth Police Headquarters for processing and is slated for arraignment in Fall River District Court. Dartmouth Police Detective Matthew Correia served as the primary investigator.

According to court records, he was arraigned Thursday where he was held on dangerousness with a hearing scheduled for September 17th.

Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque praised the teamwork, noting:

“This operation demonstrates the value of cross-agency collaboration in combating the influx of harmful drugs into our neighborhoods. The dedication of our investigators, working alongside Fall River Police, has successfully eliminated dangerous fentanyl and cocaine from circulation and led to the capture of someone benefiting from selling these lethal drugs.”