Two men arraigned on separate weapons charges
BOSTON, June 2, 2023 – Two Boston men were arraigned this week on separate gun charges stemming from firearm and ammunition seizures from the residence of one of the men and the vehicle of the other, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
MALACHI SMITH, 19, of Dorchester was charged in Dorchester BMC today with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, illegal possession of a large-capacity magazine, illegal carrying of a loaded firearm and operating a motor vehicle without a license. Judge Thomas Kaplanes set bail at $15,000 on the new charges and revoked Smith’s bail on an existing juvenile case, meaning Smith will remain in custody. He will return to court June 6 for a probable cause hearing.
JOSEPH LOPEZ, 53, of Roxbury was charged in Roxbury BMC yesterday with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, illegal possession of a high-capacity device and possession with intent to distribute illegal drugs. Judge David Weingarten set bail at $8,000 and ordered Lopez to be fitted with a GPS tracking device if released, surrender his passport and possess no firearms or dangerous weapons. Lopez will return to court July 17 for a probable cause hearing.
This morning at around 2 a.m. Boston police saw a vehicle enter Columbia Road from Old Road without stopping at the stop sign. Police pulled the vehicle over and immediately noticed the driver, later identified as Smith, acting erratically. After several requests to show his driver’s license, Smith admitted he did not have one. After conducting an inquiry on Smith and finding an open gun charge, officers ordered him to exit the vehicle so they could conduct a search. Inside a backpack in the rear of the vehicle, officers found a wallet belonging to Smith and a Smith & Wesson SD40 pistol with one round in the chamber and four rounds in the 10-round capacity magazine.
On Wednesday, Boston Drug Control Unit officers executed a search warrant at Lopez’s Trotter Court apartment and found in his bedroom a Glock 17 pistol with a magazine and additional barrel, a Smith & Wesson pistol, numerous rounds of .9-mm, .45-cal and .40-cal ammunition, two 30-round magazines, one 50-round magazine drum, 50 grams of fentanyl, a bag containing cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.
Hayden referenced three recent shootings in crowded locations, one on Shawmut Avenue in Boston last week and the other two along Revere Beach on Sunday, in calling attention to the threats posed by illegal firearms and the people who use them.
“These two arraignments point out the constant threat to all of our neighborhoods by these weapons and the high-capacity magazines that we often see attached to them. A 50-round ammunition drum is something out of a war zone. I’m thankful police pulled these guns out of service without incident. But as the incidents along Revere Beach and Shawmut Avenue make chillingly clear, there is no hesitation by the people who have these weapons to send bullets flying anywhere at any time,” 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