Taunton Repeat Illegal Firearm Offender Sentenced to Prison
FALL RIVER — A 42-year-old Taunton man who unlawfully possessed a host of illegal firearms, including a machine gun, was sentenced last week to serve five to seven years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
John Bettencourt pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with possession of a machine gun, possession of a large capacity feeding device, possession of a shotgun, possession of ammunition without an FID Card, possession of a class B drug, and possession of a large-capacity firearm.
On October 19, 2019, at around 9:30 am, Taunton Police responded to a Glebe Court home for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival at the home, police found Bettencourt's sister and her husband hiding in their basement. They informed police that Bettencourt had come down from his apartment with a firearm and that he accidentally discharged the weapon.