New Bedford police arrest violent offender on illegal firearm, narcotics charges

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Detectives with the New Bedford Police Department Organized Grime Intelligence Bureau arrested a man with a previous accessory after the fact to murder conviction Tuesday on multiple charges.

Keeland Rose, 31, of New Bedford, is charged with trespassing, carrying a knife with a blade over 2.5 inches, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and methamphetamine. 

Detectives say they observed Rose behaving suspiciously while patrolling the city’s North End and approached him in an alleyway on Clark Street.

While searching Rose, police said they found him in possession of an illegal knife, a High Standard .22 revolver loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, an additional 14 rounds of ammunition, five grams of crack cocaine, and 1.5 grams of methamphetamine.

Rose has a previous conviction of accessory after the fact to murder in the 2017 homicide of Brad Lourenco, for which he was sentenced to three to six years. 

Following his release, Rose was convicted of a felony firearm charge in 2022 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.