Massachusetts pair face gun, drug charges after police search

June 20, 2023 5:18 pm

Alex Dube,

Massachusetts State Police shared this photo of the guns, drugs and ammunition seized from a home in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WLNE) — Massachusetts State Police said a search warrant in West Springfield lead to the arrest of two people on multiple gun and drug charges.

According to police, 18-year-old Maxwell Lacus and 51-year-old Kathleen Pare were arrested in their home on Almon Avenue, the morning of June 13.

Officials said the raid lead to the seizure of the following from the residence:

700 grams of suspected cocaine
31 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms
25 grams of MDMA (ecstasy pills / powder)
60 pounds of marijuana
Large quantity of THC edibles
One loaded FN Five-Seven pistol with a 20-round magazine of armor-piercing ammunition
One loaded Glock 23 pistol with a 22-round magazine
One loaded RCA Draco pistol with a 60-round magazine
One Ruger Service six-shot revolver
One handgun silencer
One sear switch for a Glock pistol
Approximately $40,000 in cash

Lacus was arraigned in Springfield District Court by the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office on the following charges:

Trafficking over 200 grams of cocaine
Trafficking 50 – 100 pounds of marijuana
Possession with intent to distribute MDMA, Xanax and psilocybin mushrooms
Multiple counts of firearm possession, improper storage, possession of ammunition and large-capacity magazines

Pare was also arraigned for possession of a Class-B narcotic (MDMA) and multiple weapons offenses including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a large capacity feeding device, possession of a large capacity firearm, improper storage of a firearm and possession of a silencer.

“The distribution of illegal narcotics and drugs can destroy the fabric of a neighborhood, erase the sense of community, sow violence, and decrease the quality of life experienced by all residents,” Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn Jr. said.

“This operation, in conjunction with our partners, affirms that our communities belong to the many good and law-abiding citizens who live and raise families there, and not to any criminal element that tries to degrade those communities by selling drugs and illegally arming themselves,” Mawn Jr. concluded.