By Tiffany Williams –
DORCHESTER, Mass. — A routine overnight traffic stop in Dorchester quickly escalated into another alleged ghost gun arrest, ending with a 21-year-old man facing multiple firearm-related charges after Boston police say they recovered a loaded weapon from inside a vehicle packed with occupants.
The arrest happened at approximately 3:47 a.m. Saturday in the area of 15 Talbot Avenue, where officers assigned to District B-3 in Mattapan were conducting patrol operations.
According to police, officers were in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue when their attention was drawn to two idle vehicles and a large group gathered outside a location on Talbot Avenue.
A check of one of the vehicles revealed that its inspection sticker had expired.
What started as a traffic stop quickly became something much more serious.
As officers approached the vehicle, they observed several individuals packed into the rear passenger area.
Police removed all occupants from the vehicle and began their investigation.
During that investigation, officers recovered a firearm from underneath the front passenger seat.
Authorities said the weapon was a 9 mm ghost gun equipped with a Patmos upper receiver and loaded with seven rounds of live ammunition.
Ghost guns have become a growing concern for law enforcement agencies across the country because they are often assembled without serial numbers, making them difficult to trace once recovered during criminal investigations.
Following the discovery of the firearm, one of the rear passengers was taken into custody.
Police identified the suspect as Donald Villard, 21, of Dorchester.
Villard is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester Court on charges of Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License, Carrying a Firearm without a License, and Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card.
The arrest marks another instance of Boston police officers recovering an alleged illegally possessed firearm during a traffic stop, a type of encounter that frequently leads to the seizure of weapons, narcotics, and other contraband throughout the city.
Investigators have not released additional information regarding the circumstances surrounding the firearm or whether additional charges could follow.
The case remains under investigation as Villard prepares to face the charges in court.