New Bedford man previously convicted of shooting sentenced to prison on firearm charges after shots fired

A 26-year-old New Bedford alleged gang member was convicted at trial in New Bedford Superior Court of illegal gun charges and sentenced to state prison Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced.

Bruno Lopes, who was set to be released from jail in less than two months after being convicted of a 2019 non-fatal shooting at Temple Landing in New Bedford, will now serve an additional four-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years behind bars.

The jury of his peers convicted him after a three-day trial of carrying an illegal firearm and carrying a loaded illegal firearm, which was related to a July 2020 incident on Margin Street where shots were fired at a house. This was a retrial of Lopes based on a new Supreme Judicial Court ruling in the case of Commonwealth Vs. Guardado.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Matthew Sylvia and Shawn Guilderson and the sentence was imposed by Judge Renee Dupuis.

“The defendant is a gang involved person and a very dangerous person who does not belong on the streets of New Bedford. He was previously convicted of a shooting in New Bedford and was unfortunately released by the court when he committed this new offense. I want to commend the prosecution team for their perseverance and effectiveness which included locating witnesses who are uncooperative and very difficult to deal with,” District Attorney Quinn said.