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A New Bedford police officer will receive a five-day unpaid suspension for illegally transferring a personal firearm to a man whom police arrested in September for possessing the gun while intoxicated.
Mason Almeida, a patrol officer, violated department policy, specifically by commission of a criminal act, the New Bedford Police Department told him Friday. In mid-December, the department referred the matter to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal prosecution, but NBPD said the office declined to open a case.
“Although the District Attorney’s Office chose not to prosecute you in this matter, your actions have amounted to a criminal act, and you could have been criminally charged with this offense,” wrote Police Chief Jason Thody in a letter to Almeida Friday.
Under state law, if a gun owner transfers, sells or gifts their firearm to another person, they must file a transaction record with the state, something done through an online portal. It is a crime to fail to report the sale or transfer, and is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense. It can also result in suspension or permanent revocation of a person’s license to carry a firearm.
“While at this time I do not believe any outright criminal act took place,” wrote NBPD Detective Sergeant Timothy Hogan in a November 2025 investigation summary, “Almeida’s failure to ensure all proper steps were taken in the transferring of a firearm he owned to another person does technically place him in violation” of state law.
Jennifer Sowa, spokesperson for the Bristol County DA’s office, on Friday did not immediately respond to The Light’s inquiry on its decision not to prosecute Almeida.
NBPD Assistant Deputy Chief Derek Belong, in a Feb. 2 letter to Thody, said the DA’s office found that Almeida made subsequent transfers and sales of other firearms that he registered appropriately with the state, “leading them to believe that the criminal punishment to deter future behavior was not necessary.”
“I don’t think we would be able to file charges once the District Attorney’s office kind of says no,” Thody told The Light. “At that point, we would be kind of going against what they already told us. I don’t think there would be a good reason to do that.”
The man police arrested in September, Igor Lima, 28, was charged with possession with intent to distribute drugs, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and carrying the firearm registered to Almeida, a Glock pistol, while intoxicated.
Thody said Almeida’s and Lima’s stories differed on how the gun came to be in Lima’s possession.
Lima said Almeida had “given” him the firearm two years prior, per investigators. Almeida said he recalled selling the gun to Lima for $650 in cash, but had no bill of sale.
“As stated in the report, he, he was, um, heavily intoxicated. So he could have screwed up his, his words… it was a firearm sale,” Almeida said in an interview with investigators.
Lima’s name is redacted in the report, but it appears Almeida was asked about his relationship with Lima. The officer seemingly described him as a friend whom he has known for about seven years: “I just knew him as, like, a family man.”
Almeida said he thought he completed the transaction, noting it was his first time selling a firearm, but Thody said investigators were unable to find documentation with the state.
“We went to the state to see if we could see if the system was accessed by Almeida. There was nothing there we could discover one way or another,” Thody said. “It has to be considered an inappropriate transfer because we can’t prove otherwise.”
Lima’s attorney, Frank Camera, told the department his client would not be interviewed about the gun: “I’m not having my client give any statement regarding this event. I’m sure you understand.”
Lima is set to appear in court next week for a pretrial hearing on the charges from his arrest last fall.
The Sept. 29 arrest report said the responding officer, who was conducting a welfare check on a car stopped in the middle of a North End street, detected a “strong odor” of alcohol from Lima’s vehicle, and that Lima had “slurred speech.” The officer then observed a handgun in the center console, which was loaded. The officer also recovered a bag of cocaine, a bag of marijuana and a digital scale in Lima’s possession.
In Massachusetts, it is illegal to carry a loaded firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Per NBPD, Lima has a valid license to carry.
Disciplinary records previously obtained by The Light show Almeida and another officer were the subject of a citizen complaint in 2025 that alleged they “cut up” a woman’s jacket and threatened to arrest her if she filed a complaint.
The department closed out the case as not sustained, meaning it could neither prove nor disprove the allegation. The internal affairs unit noted it could not locate the complainant for further questioning.
Almeida, who has been with the department for nearly four years, was honored last year by a local Portuguese organization for helping to evacuate residents from a house fire.
The Light contacted Almeida late Friday afternoon for comment on the investigation and his suspension. Department policy generally precludes officers from speaking to the media, and doing so can count as a policy violation.
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
A five day vacation? He should be terminated and decertified as a police officer. Law enforcement will never gain back the trust and respect of the public if they cover for people like this.
I agree 100 percent!
The officer sold/gave a man with a criminal history ( was it a felony or misdemeanor? Media, please look into this. Felons are prohibited from ever owning another firearm).
The officer should have been very well aware of such.
Yes, we all make mistakes, but keeping guns out of the hands of the wrong people, I would think would be one of the top priorities of the police. Im sure the officer knew the man’s record & did it anyway.
Harsher punishment should be applied to those in law enforcement; lawyers, police, correction officers, judges.
Rant over; stepping off my soda box.
Every week it seems that there is another police officer that broke the law in New Bedford.
I think it’s time to clean house.
This situation highlights how critical it is for law enforcement officers to follow every safety law, especially when it comes to firearms. Even trained professionals have to be held accountable when they mishandle transfers, because the public’s trust and community safety depend on it
CLEAN HOUSE CHIEF WHILE YOU STILL CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great newspaper reporting. Exactly the kind of journalism this community needs. Keep up the good work!