Stewart Silvestri, age 24, was arrested after a Trooper spotted a gun "in plain sight" in Silvestri's car while at a weigh station on I-95 in Rowley on Saturday night, Oct. 15, State Police said. Not only did the Trooper see the handgun along with a 50-round drum magazine, he also saw another gun under Silvestri's driver seat.
Silvestri was then pulled from the car, in which Troopers found seven polymer handguns and one AR-style rifle. They also found 34 magazines, 23 of which were high capacity magazines, and at least 22 various firearm components and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police said.
Troopers also determined that Silvestri does not have a license to carry guns in Massachusetts and may have gotten the weapons in New Hampshire. He was taken to State Police Barracks in Newbury and was booked on the following charges:
- Eight counts of unlawful possession of a firearm
- 25 counts of possession of a large capacity weapon or feeding device
- Multiple counts of possession of a large-capacity firearm in commission of a felony and improper storage of a large capacity firearm
- Single counts of possession of a silencer and possession of a firearm while under the influence
While there, it was determined that Silvestri had been driving under the influence and that he was carrying several illegal substances. Overall, Troopers found about 42 grams of cocaine, 53 suboxone strips, 167 Xanax pills, 15 grams of liquid GHB and several prescription medications inside Silvestri's backpack.
He was charged with OUI-Drugs and possession of Class A, B, and E narcotics as a result, police said. Silvestri was held on $100,000 cash bail and is expected to be arraigned in Newburyport District Court on Monday.
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