Career criminal sentenced in cocaine trafficking case

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A New Bedford man was sentenced to serve eight to 10 years in state prison in a cocaine trafficking case.

The 407 Park Street home of Benjamin Duarte, 54, was searched by New Bedford police on April 1, 2016.

The search uncovered 51.99 grams of cocaine and two and 3/4 pounds of marijuana.

The drug evidence introduced at trial consisted of 44 grams of rock-like cocaine and 8 individual bags of cocaine powder.

Non-drug evidence including three bottles of Inositol powder, a common substance used to mix cocaine, multiple boxes of plastic bags, a grinder, scissors, two digital scales and $1,680 in cash.

Duarte has a nine-page criminal record dating back to the 1980s, including robberies, assaults and firearm offenses and also has two more pending cocaine trafficking cases scheduled for trial this spring.