Traffic Stop In East Boston Leads To Recovery Of Fully Automatic Ghost Gun, Ammunition, And Suspect’s Arrest

At about 3:13 PM, on Friday, June 7^th, 2024, Officers assigned to District A-7 (East Boston) and the Youth Violence Strike Force (YVSF) recovered a loaded, fully automatic, large capacity firearm after conducting a traffic stop.

Officers were on patrol on Saint Andrew Rd. when they observed a white BMW that was of interest in an ongoing investigation by A-7 Detectives. Officers recognized the operator of the BMW and a query revealed that he did not have a driver’s license. Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens and conducted a traffic stop at 81 Saint Andrew Rd, East Boston.

An investigation followed which resulted in Officers recovering a firearm from inside the operator’s waistband. After the Operator was placed in custody, Officers also recovered a small plastic bag of a substance believed to be cocaine from his wallet.

Detectives responded and determined the firearm was a P80 Polymer Ghost Gun, that was equipped with a switch device that turns semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic firearms. The firearm had a black extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two .40cal rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber, combining to a total of 23 rounds.

Officers arrested Christopher Rodriguez, 23, of East Boston who is expected to be arraigned in East Boston District Court on the charges of Carrying a Firearm Without a License, Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card, Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm, Possession of a Machine Gun, Possession of Class B Drugs, and Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License.