Fall River Police K9 Finds Over a Kilo of Hidden Cocaine in Abandoned Property
FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A man was arrested in New Bedford recently on cocaine and gun charges after a police K9 located over a kilo of cocaine in a dirt crawl space under his former Fall River residence.
According to a Fall River Police Facebook post, members of the department’s Community Action and Suppression Team (C.A.S.T.) assisted the FBI Metro Boston Gang Task Force and the Massachusetts Department of Correction in an investigation into Justin Russell.
Past Howland Street Arrest and Shooting History
As reported by the Fall River Herald News in 2018, Russell was arrested by Fall River Police on December 4 of that year after a narcotics investigation led them to search his residence at 79 Howland Street. During that search, detectives recovered 21 grams of cocaine, a firearm, ammunition, a large capacity magazine, and two regular magazines from his bedroom. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2020 to seven years in state prison.
Based on the resemblance between his 2018 booking photo and a WPRI report, that arrest came just a little over a month after Russell had been saved by a jewelry store employee after Russell was shot in the leg outside the Fall River jewelry store.
FBI Task Force Raid Uncovers Howland Street Stash
On July 24, 2026, a Fall River Police detective assigned to the FBI Metro Boston Gang Task Force “developed information that Russell had allegedly stored a significant quantity of illegal narcotics inside his former residence at 79 Howland Street,” according to police. A search warrant was obtained.
“The property was vacant, uninhabitable and without electricity or running water,” police said. “Searching the deteriorated property proved difficult. Crime scene detectives responded with lighting equipment, and FRPD K9 Marta joined the search.”
K9 Marta Locates Hidden Cocaine in Dirt Crawl Space
Police said Marta entered a dirt crawl space beneath the rear of the residence and detected narcotics.
“The property may not have had electricity, but K9 Marta still managed to shed plenty of light on what was hiding underneath it,” police said. “Outstanding work, Marta!”
A search of the area turned up over a kilogram of suspected cocaine as well as a loaded 9mm firearm.
Russell was located later the same day in New Bedford and was arrested and charged with trafficking in cocaine 200 grams or more, firearms offenses (subsequent offense), and being an armed career criminal.
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Gallery Credit: Kate Robinson