A routine traffic stop turned into a significant weapons bust when Springfield Police Officers recovered a loaded ghost gun and arrested two individuals this past Saturday night. Officers were patrolling around 8:35 p.m near Wilbraham Road and Byron Street when they noticed a car with a headlight out and decided to quickly conduct a stop. The vehicle, filled with smoke, reeked of burnt marijuana. Despite the offer to have a licensed driver take control, the driver and his passengers, two 17-year-olds, declined to comply, according to the Springfield Police Department's report.
The driver, identified as 21-year-old Matthew Callender of Springfield, was arrested on the spot for operating under the influence of drugs (OUI – Drugs). The search that followed unearthed more than just evidence of drug use. Officers found a loaded ghost gun, leading to the arrest of one of the teenage passengers on firearms charges. Singles of additional marijuana, cash, and packaging materials were also found within the confines of the car.
The name and the specific allegations against the juvenile cannot be released under the law due to his age. Callender, however, faces several charges, including OUI – Drugs, Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law, Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug, and Defective Equipment for the headlight violation. This incident joins the growing concern about untraceable firearms, often called ghost guns, that are increasingly turning up at crime scenes across the nation.
