Informant’s tip leads to warrant search, arrest of Taunton teen on drug distribution, firearms offenses

TAUNTON — Detective Lauren Fiola of the Fall River Police Department, who is assigned to the department’s Community Action and Suppression Team/FBI Metro Boston Gang Taskforce, wrote in a Dec. 30, 2025 search warrant application affidavit that, within the past week, she had received information from a “confidential reliable informant” who stated that 19-year-old Jaymeson Freitas of Taunton was in possession of multiple illegal firearms.

Detective Fiola said the confidential reliable informant, referred to as “CI or IT” in the affidavit, reported that although Freitas lives in Taunton, he frequently travels to Fall River.

“The CI [confidential reliable informant] further advised that Jaymeson resides on Railroad Avenue in Taunton, Massachusetts, in a townhouse-style residence,” Det. Fiola wrote in the affidavit.

Detective Fiola said the confidential informant reported observing Freitas in possession of two firearms within the past week while he was coming and going from his residence on Railroad Avenue in Taunton. The weapons were described as a black semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine and a gray semi-automatic handgun.

The informant told Detective Fiola that they’re familiar with firearms and that the weapons observed appeared to be real and not fake guns.

“Based on this information, I contacted Jen Bastille, a crime analyst with the Taunton Police Department,” Det. Fiola said. “I asked her if she was familiar with a male known as Jaymeson who resides in Taunton. Bastille stated that she is familiar with a male identified as Jaymeson Freitas. Bastille further advised that she is aware Jaymeson Freitas has prior firearms-related convictions.”

Detective Fiola said she conducted a Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) query of Freitas and showed the RMV photograph on file for him to the confidential informant, who positively identified the individual as Freitas.

“RMV records list Jaymeson Freitas’s registered address as 68 Railroad Avenue, Apartment 1, Taunton, MA,” Det. Fiola said in the affadavit. “The CI had previously indicated that Jaymeson resides in a townhouse-style apartment on Railroad Avenue. Based on this information, the CI was shown a Google Images photograph of the area surrounding 68 Railroad Avenue, Apartment 1, Taunton, MA, which the CI confirmed as consistent with Jaymeson’s residence.”

Detective Fiola said the informant confirmed that 68 Railroad Avenue is the property the informant observed Freitas entering and exiting while in possession of firearms in Taunton within the past week.

Detective Fiola said that while conducting pre-search warrant surveillance, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Jeremy Dellecese observed a male matching Freitas’ description enter 68 Railroad Avenue, Apartment 1, in Taunton.

“Trooper Dellecese further advised that on the same day he observed the male enter the residence, he also observed a vehicle parked in the driveway bearing Massachusetts registration [# redacted],” Det. Fiola said. “Trooper Dellecese noted that this was the only vehicle present in the driveway at the time he observed the male enter the residence.”

Detective Fiola said Trooper Dellecese ran a query of the vehicle’s registration through the RMV database and found out that the registered owner was a 55-year-old man who resides in Lakeville, Massachusetts. She said a further query showed that on July 27, 2024, the vehicle was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which Freitas was listed as the operator.

Detective Fiola said that while she was conducting surveillance at 86 Railroad Avenue with other detectives from the Fall River Police Department, she observed the aforementioned vehicle leave the driveway.

“While monitoring the vehicle, Detective Sergeant Brandon Wixon observed a male matching the physical characteristics of Jaymeson Freitas seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle,” Det. Fiola wrote in the affidavit. “It should be noted that Jaymeson Freitas does not possess an active Massachusetts driver’s license.”

Detective Fiola added that during this investigation, she monitored the activity on Freitas’ Instagram account with the username “xjay508.”

“Based on the photographs posted on this account, I was able to confirm that the individual depicted is Jaymeson Freitas. The CI also reviewed the photographs posted on the Instagram account and confirmed that the individual depicted is the same male the CI knows as Jaymeson,” Det. Fiola said. Later adding, “While continuing to monitor the Instagram page, xjay508, I observed Jaymeson advertising multiples packages of marijuana for sale on his Instagram story. These posts also include the price that they are being sold for as well as what ‘flavors’ the marijuana are.”

“Being that Jaymeson is 18 years old he is prohibited from possessing or distributing marijuana,” Det. Fiola said.

Detective Fiola said she conducted a query through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) database to determine whether Freitas held an active license to carry (LTC), which yielded negative results. The detective also ran a query of Freitas’ 40-year-old mother for an active LTC, which also yielded negative results.

Detective Fiola said she also conducted a Board of Probation check of Freitas and learned that on Feb. 14, 2023, when he was 16 years old, he was arraigned in Plymouth County Juvenile Court on a charge of possession of a firearm without a permit. The case was continued on March 15, 2023 and Freitas was committed to the Department of Youth Services, according to court records.

On Dec. 30, 2025, the Fall River District Court approved Detective Fiola’s application for a search warrant to search the residence at 68 Railroad Avenue for firearms, ammunition, and controlled substances, as well as Freitas and any other occupants.

According to the Statement of Facts in Support of Application for Criminal Complaint written by Trooper Jeremy Dellecese and submitted to the Taunton District Court, at about 2:55 p.m. on the day Detective Fiola obtained the search warrant, Freitas was observed entering his residence at 68 Railroad Avenue after exiting from a black Hyundai Elantra with Massachusetts plates.

Later in the evening, shortly after 11:30 p.m., Fall River police were conducting surveillance outside 68 Railroad Avenue.

Trooper Dellecese said that at about 12:15 a.m., on Dec. 31, 2025, the same Hyundai Elantra was observed pulling into the driveway of 68 Railroad Avenue.

“An individual consistent with the physical description of Freitas was observed entering the residence via the front door,” Trooper Dellecese said. “At about 12:20 a.m., members of the Fall River Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit approached the residence.”

Trooper Dellecese said that the officers were wearing ballistic vests with the word “POLICE” displayed on them along with their badges.

“FRPD [Fall River Police Department] members announced their presence, knocked, and made entry, continuing to announce their presence and purpose,” Trooper Dellecese said.

Inside the residence was 40-year-old Tayla Walsh, 19-year-old Emma Petrillo, of Lakeville, and Freitas.

“Walsh was ultimately identified as Freitas’ mother and Petrillo was identified as Freitas’ girlfriend,” Trooper Dellecese said. According to court documents, Walsh also resides at 68 Railroad Avenue.

“Freitas was observed in the front window on the third floor of the building,” Trooper Dellecese said. “Once the residence was secure, a search was commenced. Freitas’ bedroom was ultimately identified as being the top bedroom on the third floor of the apartment.”

Trooper Dellecese said Detective Fiola read Freitas his Miranda rights from a card she carries on her person, and Freitas stated that he understood them.

“Freitas made repeated statements along the lines of questioning the police response over someone with some weed and a gun,” Trooper Dellecese said. “Freitas told Detective Fiola the firearm was his and stated he had money and weed (marijuana) within the bedroom.”

Detective Fiola brought Freitas upstairs to his bedroom on the third-floor, where Freitas directed Detective Fiola to U.S. currency in a shoebox under the bed, marijuana in a container, and two magazines in a shoe on a shoe rack.

“A subsequent search revealed the following: within Freitas’ bedroom, on the floor next to the bed a Canik 9×19 semi-automatic pistol found,” Trooper Dellecese said. “The firearm was observed during the initial protective sweep of the residence. I retrieved the firearm, rendering it safe.”

Trooper Dellecese said the firearm was found with a ten-round magazine inserted into the magazine well containing ten rounds of live 9-millimeter ammunition. He said the firearm was not locked, stored in a locked container, or equipped with a locking mechanism.

Freitas was placed under arrest and investigators cleared the residence at around 2:15 a.m.

“During the transport of Freitas to the State Police Middleboro Barracks, at about 2:35 a.m., Freitas made multiple statements about selling marijuana and indicated he was unemployed,” Trooper Dellecese said. “The amount of marijuana, presence of the scale, manner in which it was packaged, and Freitas’ statements, are indicative of street level distribution of marijuana. I assert Freitas possessed the marijuana with the intention to distribute it.”

Freitas’ bail was set at $5,000.

“Freitas was advised of this,” Trooper Dellecese said. “During the booking process, Freitas exercised his right to a telephone call. At the completion of the booking process, Freitas was unable to arrange for bail and was subsequently transported to the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department Ash Street facility [i.e., jail] in New Bedford.”

At the Bristol County jail, Freitas underwent the standard intake process for pretrial detainees. According to Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux, inmates awaiting trial are interviewed to assess whether they pose a risk to themselves or others and to identify any enemy or gang-related concerns so they can be assigned to the appropriate housing unit. Although Freitas had not been convicted of the charges, Heroux said he was still eligible to participate in programs aimed at reducing the likelihood of reoffending. “Our job is not to judge the inmate; the jury and the courts do the judging. Our job is to make sure inmates and employees are safe, and that we release inmates as better people than when we got them,” Sheriff Heroux said.

Freitas was arraigned in Taunton District Court on Dec. 31, 2025. Following his arraignment, Freitas remained in custody at the Bristol County House of Correction until a dangerousness hearing on Jan. 6, 2026, after which he was released on $5,000 cash bail with GPS monitoring and home confinement.

Freitas’ next court date was a pretrial conference hearing scheduled for March 5, 2026.

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Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in December, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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