Boston's top prosecutor has put a man behind bars for a stockpile of illegal weapons following an extensive multi-agency operation. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced the indictment of Scott LaPanne, 46, from East Falmouth, who was nabbed for a string of gun charges on February 29. The bust unfolded after authorities tracked firearm parts LaPanne allegedly ordered online, sparking a larger probe into his gun cache.
LaPanne was arraigned in Falmouth District Court on a laundry list of charges, including six counts of possession of an assault weapon and 14 counts of owning a firearm without a license, as reported by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. The suspect was found to quickly have amassed some 50 firearms-related items since 2019, according to the investigation led by the AG's Office alongside Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
"I am deeply proud of the work conducted by my office and our partnership with Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies in this case," Campbell stated. She emphasized how stripping the streets of these unlawfully possessed weapons remains a top priority in safeguarding communities and children. The cross-agency collaboration effectively neutralized a significant threat by confiscating the trove of weapons from LaPanne’s residence.
Seized items from the operation include seven AR-15 style rifles, an AK-47, and even two silencers, a stash AG’s office says was hidden away at LaPanne's home. "Cybercrime doesn’t always stay online," remarked Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. He stressed that online purchases of firearms and illegal components can easily spill into physical neighborhoods, a threat which this case illustrates and now curtailingly addresses.
The stiff charges against LaPanne carry mandatory minimums—possession of an assault weapon has a one-year mandatory sentence while having a large capacity weapon or feeding device ups the ante to two and one-half years in prison. The case falls under the purview of the AG's Enterprise and Major Crimes Division, with Assistant Attorney General Lynn Brennan leading the charge.
