Police serving warrant recover large capacity firearm and “ghost gun” during traffic stop
BOSTON, October 25, 2023 – Two men, one who removed his GPS monitor related to a pending firearm case, were arraigned Tuesday in Dorchester BMC on numerous firearm charges after police during a traffic stop recovered a firearm modified to become fully automatic and another firearm without a serial number, also known as a ghost gun, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
NASHAWN PETTAWAY, 23, of Dorchester was charged with possession of a machine gun, possession of a loaded machine gun, possession of ammunition without an FID card (subsequent offense), carrying a firearm without a license (3rd offense), and possession of a large capacity feeding device.
Judge Lisa Grant ordered Pettaway held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on October 31.
Pettaway has an open firearm case out of Plymouth Superior Court with bail conditions that included wearing a GPS tracking device, which he cut off. He has also served a House of Correction sentence for firearm-related offenses in Brookline in 2019.
ISAIAH MILLER, 21, of South Boston was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and carrying a loaded firearm without a license.
Judge Grant ordered Miller held on $4,000 bail. Miller is due back in court on October 31 for a pre-trial hearing.
At about 10:00 a.m. on October 24, Boston police were in the area of Corona Street to serve a warrant for a man wanted for removing a GPS ankle monitor. They observed a male matching the description, later identified as Pettaway, exit his home and enter a rideshare vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Corona Street and Geneva Avenue and observed three men in the backseat.
Police ordered the passengers to exit the vehicle. Officers observed that Pettaway had been sitting on top of a .40-caliber Glock 22 with an extended magazine and an affixed machine-gun conversion device. The gun had a high-capacity magazine loaded with 31 rounds. Officers also observed a second firearm, a .9mm Glock 19 with one round in the chamber and nine in the magazine, under the driver’s seat, adjacent to where Miller’s feet had been.
The third passenger was not arrested.
“The devastation these weapons could wreak upon our residents and our neighborhoods should terrify all of us. This is extraordinary, intolerable firepower. In addition, the blatant disregard for public safety and court orders is crystal clear here. Not only did this individual violate his conditions of release by cutting off his GPS, but he also chose to reoffend by securing a large-capacity weapon and modifying it into a fully-automatic instrument of destruction. I applaud Boston police for their diligent work in seizing these firearms. Once again, we will continue to seek appropriate sanctions including dangerousness hearings, but the response must transcend police and prosecutors,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications