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Robert Ivarson, age 55, last week pleaded guilty to:
- 10 counts of possession of an assault weapon
- 11 counts of possession of a large-capacity weapon
- 11 counts of possession of a large-capacity feeding device
- 24 counts of possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal
- 12 counts of possession of a shotgun as an armed career criminal
- 41 counts of possession of a rifle as an armed career criminal, criminal harassment
- Criminal civil rights violation
The Middlesex District Attorney's Office said Ivarson harangued and harassed his Haitian neighbors by throwing banana peels in their driveway and threatening them because of the color of their skin. The family said they found the fruit in their driveway between 30 and 40 times over several months.
“Mr. Ivarson targeted his neighbors because of their race," District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a news release. "His repeated throwing of banana peels into their driveway was terrorizing and caused them to feel unsafe in their own home. This case reflects our unwavering commitment to actively prosecuting those who intend to intimidate and threaten members of our communities because of their race."
Ivarson was convicted of a felony in the 1990s and isn't allowed to keep firearms. However, when ATF agents raided his home in 2017, they found more than 73 pistols and rifles. That included 10 assault weapons such as AR-15s and an Uzi with high-capacity magazines, Ryan said.
Amongst the weaponry, agents said they also found Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, and confederate paraphernalia and photographs.
A judge last week sentenced Ivarson to seven to nine years in prison followed by three years of probation, the prosecutor said. He must stay away from his victims and cannot own any firearms, the judge ruled.
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