Joint investigation leads to arraignment of Woonsocket man for role in illegal firearm trafficking scheme

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- Attorney General Peter Neronha announced that a Woonsocket man has been charged and arraigned for his role in an illegal firearms trafficking scheme on November 12.

The charges came from a joint investigation by the Attorney Generals office, Providence Police, Pawtucket Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and explosives, with further assistance from the Woonsocket Police department.

William Love, 30, was arrested for allegedly possessing a pistol without a proper license and a 15-round magazine.

In a statement from the Attorney General’s office, they said,

“Willie Love (age 30) was charged with one count of possession of a pistol without a license. As alleged in court documents, Love bought an illegal pistol from an individual involved in a multi-defendant firearm straw purchasing scheme targeted by the investigatory team in 2020.

Love’s arrest and prosecution is the latest result of an initiative by the Office of the Attorney General, ATF, the Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls Police Departments and the Department of Corrections to proactively target violent crime and firearms trafficking in the greater Providence Area.”