Public concerns rise over police misconduct
Former Los Angeles County sheriff Jim McDonnell weighs in on 'FOX News Live'
A retired Massachusetts police detective had a years-long affair with an alleged New England heroin kingpin's fiancee during which he had sex with her in a patrol car and provided her with seized marijuana, a report claimed.
Former New Bedford Police detective Jared Lucas was the subject of an internal investigation this year that found he had an affair with Carly Medeiros and likely used his power as a law enforcement officer to protect her from legal troubles, the Boston Globe reported last month, citing the New Bedford internal affairs report.
Medeiros first sounded the alarm on Lucas’ conduct in an affidavit last year, but prosecutors dismissed her account as uncorroborated and her affidavit wasn’t released to the public, according to the Globe. The outlet subsequently began its own investigation into Medeiros’ claims, sparking the internal review that reportedly led to the department finding the woman’s claims have merit.
Medeiros said that going back to 2014, she had met regularly with Lucas, even allegedly staying at his home and introducing him to her mother and sister. Medeiros is the fiancee of Steven Ortiz, an alleged Massachusetts heroin dealer currently awaiting trial on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.
New Bedford, Massachusetts, police cruisers (New Bedford Police Dept/FB)
Lucas contacted Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the summer of 2016 over an alleged heroin trafficking ring run by Ortiz, and cited an "unidentified confidential informant" for information on the drug ring. Medeiros said she believes she is the unnamed informant, but said she never agreed to officially be an informant.
The tip sparked a multi-agency operation, including at least five local, state and federal agencies, that investigated Ortiz and his associates. Lucas, meanwhile, continued seeing Medeiros while the investigation, called Operation High Stakes, was carried out. Medeiros continued her involvement with her fiance during this time, according to the Globe.
Police arrested Ortiz in June 2017 after a state wiretap of Ortiz’s phone led law enforcement to a parking lot in Fall River. Authorities recovered nearly 250 grams of heroin and fentanyl from Ortiz’s car during the bust. All in, 21 people were arrested as part of Operation High Stakes and roughly 400 grams of heroin and fentanyl were seized, police said.
A man prepares to inject heroin. (Reuters)
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Medeiros said she first met Lucas as she was leaving the beach, when his police car pulled up to her and he allegedly asked: "You’re Steven’s girl, right?"
The two began a sexual relationship in 2014 or 2015, according to her account to the Globe, after Lucas informed her Ortiz was cheating. The affair allegedly included the two of them having sex in the front seat of his police cruiser while he was on-duty
He also allegedly provided her seized marijuana and Lucas reportedly used the police database to obtain Medeiros’ personal information. The internal police investigation did not include assessments on those claims from Medeiros, the Globe reported.
New Bedford is located along Massachusett's south coast, about an hour west of Cape Cod.
A fishing boat passes a lighthouse on its way toward the entrance of the New Bedford Harbor on Nov. 4, 2021. New Bedford was once the whaling capital of the world. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Lucas retired in 2021, before the internal investigation began, and was not interviewed for the investigation despite efforts by police officials to contact him, the Boston Globe reported. Medeiros declined being interviewed for the investigation. The internal investigation’s findings mark the first time the department acknowledged official misconduct carried out by Lucas.
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"I wasn’t lying about any of this," Medeiros told the Globe. "I’m just so happy that what I said turned out to be [found] true.
The internal investigation into Medeiros’ claims highlights the integrity of Operation High Stakes, with legal experts saying Ortiz’s legal team will likely use the report to claim bias by law enforcement, according to the Globe. Internal investigators determined it was "more likely than not" that Lucas used his power as a detective to shield Medeiros from legal trouble, including intervening when she was pulled over by other cops, according to the report. The report also determined that Medeiros was not properly registered as an informant, despite being credited with providing information to the department and conducting controlled drug buys, the Globe said.
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The internal report characterized the misconduct as isolated, with Lucas serving as the only bad actor.
New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira told the Boston Globe it is "disappointing to see that an officer has used terrible judgment and engaged in unethical behavior."
"[Lucas’s] egregious behavior while in our employment is an anomaly and does not reflect the true caliber of the men and women of the New Bedford Police Department who serve honorably and selflessly each day," Oliveira said.
The New Bedford Police Department (Google Maps )
When contacted by the Globe, Lucas hit back that the reporter was infatuated with him.
"I am not quite sure about your infatuation with me?" he wrote in an email, according to the outlet. "I do try to understand it must stem from a troubled past of being picked on as a child or some type of abuse. I will pray for you."
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Oliveira told the outlet there was little to do in terms of reprimanding Lucas, citing his resignation.
The police department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment. Fox News additionally attempted to contact Lucas and Medeiros on email regarding the scandal but did not immediately receive replies.
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