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NEW BEDFORD — The fallout of a sexual relationship between a since-retired New Bedford narcotics detective and his confidential informant continues years later.
Miguel Martinez, who was charged with drug trafficking in 2019 following information the informant provided to the then-officer, sued the officer and City of New Bedford on Monday, alleging they violated his civil rights and conducted an unlawful search and seizure.
Martinez was arrested after narcotics officers in the New Bedford Police Department obtained and executed search warrants on his residence, “alleged ‘stash house,’” and car.
The warrant was based on details an informant, Carly Medeiros, provided to then-narcotics detective Jared Lucas, while they were sexually involved, according to the new civil lawsuit. Medeiros at the time was also “romantically involved” with Martinez.
In 2024, Martinez’s drug case was dismissed after a Bristol County superior court judge determined Lucas’ “gross misconduct” with Medeiros as an informant had tainted the search warrant process.
The judge concluded that Lucas’ actions, as well as Medeiros’ “lack of reliability” as an informant, would have negated any finding of probable cause for Martinez, and as a result, the evidence must be suppressed from the case.
Martinez had been indicted on charges of trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, and possession to distribute. Previous charges also include assault (disposed with a guilty plea), and animal cruelty (dismissed for “lack of prosecution”).
In this week’s filing, Martinez’s attorney said Martinez had served almost three years in the Massachusetts House of Corrections “based on a fraudulent, corrupt, compromised warrant for which the Court found there were material misrepresentations.”
As a result, he suffered a loss of liberty, reputational harm and financial losses, and ultimately a violation of his fourth amendment rights, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, the complaint reads.
The Light attempted to reach Lucas by phone, but did not hear back by publication.
The lawsuit also names Officer Kevin Barbosa and unidentified supervisory officers “whose identities will be determined through discovery” for several of the claims.
The Light emailed Barbosa for comment Thursday afternoon and did not immediately hear back. Department policy generally bars members from speaking to the press.
The City of New Bedford is named as a defendant for “municipal liability,” with Martinez alleging the city and police department failed to adequately train and monitor officers, or implement safeguards, regarding relationships with confidential informants.
The complaint also alleges a “tolerance or ratification of misconduct within specialized units, including narcotics and gang units.”
“The City’s failure to act in the face of these known or obvious risks constituted deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of persons targeted in narcotics investigations,” the complaint reads.
Jonathan Darling, the city’s public information officer, said the city has no comment on pending litigation. Holly Huntoon, NBPD spokesperson, issued the same comment.
She added Police Chief Jason Thody, who joined the department last summer, is traveling, but will be available next week to discuss reforms the department has adopted.
NBPD’s narcotics unit came under fire last year following a Boston Globe investigation and subsequent review from a consulting firm. The firm said the department’s confidential informant policy was “robust,” but that it must be strengthened in many areas.
Years earlier, in 2023, a different consulting firm had recommended the department develop stronger policies on the use of confidential informants and conduct regular audits of registered informants.
The department last year defended itself against allegations and reporting by the Globe, with the former police chief saying he had previously directed an investigation “into the general workings of the narcotics unit to ensure it was operating within policy and law.” The review concluded that the unit was “operating within policy and law.”
The Light found that the investigation was a few sentences long. The report showed a department investigator devoted only two sentences to the question of whether the narcotics unit was following procedures. The investigator reached his conclusion that the unit was following policy without much, if any, explanation amid the more than 130-page, partially redacted document.
The Boston Globe first reported on Lucas’ misconduct, and described a “tawdry love triangle” between Lucas as detective, Medeiros as informant, and another man, Steven Ortiz, who was charged in 2017 with drug trafficking. His case was dismissed last year.
The relationship between Lucas and Medeiros lasted at least seven years, previous court filings said. Lucas retired from NBPD in 2021. As of last year, he had received more than $219,000 in benefits.
Martinez has requested a jury trial. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
And this is why New Bedford needed an external chief and change agent chief of staff instead of continuing to promote locals who are going to look the other way and perpetuate that status quo.
The Boston Globe was absolutely correct in their “Snitch City” series on the NBPD. Supervisors and colleagues of Jared Lucas were lacking in “detective skills” when they stated they were unaware of his sexual activity with his CI. Even the CI said that, at times, officers of the NBPD would watch their sexual activity taking place in police cars.
To be silent is to be afraid (possibly warranted) and abets the egregious behavior of individuals like Jared Lucas.
Jared Lucas is responsible for lost drug related prosecutions along with the time and effort of all involved. His cost, to the city of New Bedford, of salaries wasted in pursuit of these drug dealers was immense over the years.
However, his “retired before fired” strategy worked for him and others.