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High-Capacity Ar-style Rifle Recovered In Region

Police busted a man with an illegal AR-style assault rifle following an investigation into the illegal storage of firearms at a home in Western Massachusetts.

Police in Springfield recovered an AR-style rifle as part of an investigation.

Police in Springfield recovered an AR-style rifle as part of an investigation.

Photo Credit: Springfield Police Department

In Hampden County, detectives from the Springfield Police Department's Firearms Investigation Unit, Holyoke police officers, and members of the FBI Gang Task Force arrested 42-year-old Emmanuel Garcia following the execution of a search warrant at a home on the 600 block of Bay Street.

According to police, the investigation was launched when a Springfield Police Department detective and a Franklin County deputy sheriff assigned to the FBI Gang Task Force were conducting an investigation into the illegal storage of firearms at a home on Bay Street and later identified Garcia as a suspect.

On Friday, Dec. 17, while surveilling Garcia’s home, detectives noted that he left his home and drove away, knowing that he had a suspended license.

Police said that assisting detectives conducted a traffic stop of Garcia near his home at the intersection of Pine Street and Resnic Boulevard in Holyoke, and he was taken into custody for driving with a suspended license.

While Garcia was arrested, members of the FBI Gang Task Force applied for and were granted a search warrant for his home.

During that search, detectives located and seized a semi-automatic firearm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, an AR 5.56mm rifle loaded with more than 15 rounds of ammunition, and various other ammunition.

Garcia was ultimately charged with:

  • Two counts of possession of a firearm without an FID card;
  • Two counts of improper storage of a large-capacity firearm;
  • Two counts of possession of a high-capacity magazine/feeding device;
  • Possession of an assault weapon;
  • Receiving stolen property less than $1,200;
  • Possession of ammunition without an FID card;
  • Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

No return court date for Garcia has been announced.

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