A late-night traffic stop on Madison Street in Worcester turned into a gun arrest when officers say they found a firearm tucked inside a large black fanny pack in the backseat of a car just after midnight Wednesday. Passenger Robert Perkins, 22, of New Bedford told police the weapon was his and was arrested at the scene on several firearms-related charges, according to authorities.
Officers initially pulled the vehicle over at about 12:46 a.m. for an obstructed license plate, according to a press release from the City of Worcester. Police said they frisked the driver and passengers, then spotted the large black fanny pack in the backseat. Inside, officers reported finding a firearm that appeared to lack a serial number.
The City of Worcester said Perkins was charged with unlicensed possession of a firearm, possession of a large-capacity firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a Firearm Identification (FID) card and improper storage of a large-capacity firearm. The driver was also arrested on an outstanding warrant and cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle, the release noted. The department shared the announcement on its Facebook page.
What The Charges Mean
Massachusetts law tightly regulates who can possess guns and ammunition. State licensing rules require either a Firearm Identification Card (FID) or a License to Carry for most firearms and ammo. As Mass.gov explains, an FID allows a person to have rifles or shotguns that are not large-capacity or semi-automatic, while a large-capacity feeding device is generally one that holds more than ten rounds of ammunition, or more than five shotgun shells. Having a gun or ammunition without the proper license can trigger criminal charges under state law, and the penalties escalate when large-capacity weapons or devices are involved.
Enforcement In The City
This latest traffic-stop arrest lands in the middle of a busy stretch of firearms enforcement work by Worcester police. Local reporting on a May search of Pinewood Lane found 10 illegal firearms and a conversion device, as detailed in a Pinewood Lane bust, and earlier this year a Pilgrim Avenue raid recovered dozens of guns and firearm parts, according to WCVB. Together, those cases highlight the department's ongoing focus on getting illegal weapons off city streets.
According to the City of Worcester release, Perkins was arrested and booked on the listed charges. The announcement did not include an arraignment date or further case details, and directed readers to the department's original notice for additional information.
