Edward STANFORD & Samuel STANFORD Arrests

On or about Tuesday, August 4, 2015, a Somerville Police Lieutenant reported to SPD-CID that his department issued firearm had been stolen from his locker inside the men’s locker room at Somerville Police Headquarters.  He reported that this larceny happened sometime between 3:45pm on August 2 and 7:30pm on August 4. Upon the reporting of this larceny, an immediate investigation was undertaken by SPD-CID.

 

INVESTIGATION:

As part of this investigation, surveillance video from inside and outside SPD Headquarters was viewed for the time period that the larceny occurred. On Monday, August 24, CID Commander, while viewing this surveillance footage, took notice of a particular series of events on August 3. On an exterior camera, he observed Samuel Stanford, a former Somerville Police Officer, terminated from the SPD on July 23, 2105, enter the rear entrance at 8:37pm. He then observed Samuel Stanford make his way down a corridor and walk through another door that leads towards the men’s locker room. He observed that Stanford was out of camera range, near the men’s locker room area, for about 6 minutes until he re-emerged from the same door and exited the building via the same rear exit at 8:43pm. Of the utmost importance of the observations that were made of Stanford inside the building, was the fact that he used a black cloth to “jam” the locking mechanism of the door leading to the locker room area so that he could get back out without a key-card and that there was a noticeable “heavy-looking” bulge, consistent with the shape, size and weight of a gun, in Stanford’s right pocket. Also, it was observed that Stanford used the same black cloth to open the doorknob in an obvious attempt to prevent his fingerprints from being discovered as he exited the rear door. Because Samuel Stanford was terminated from the SPD, and was no longer authorized to enter the building through an “Authorized Personnel Only” door, the CID Commander applied for, and was granted an arrest warrant for Samuel Stanford for B&E Nighttime W/I to Commit a Felony. This warrant was issued on August 25.

 

On Tuesday, August 25, in furtherance of this investigation, I, Detective Paul Duffy, applied for, and was granted, a warrant to search 14 Boston Street #3A, Somerville, Mass. The reason for this search warrant was to find evidence related to the crimes of B&E Nighttime W/I to Commit a Felony and Larceny of a Firearm. This search warrant, along with the arrest warrant for Samuel Stanford, was executed at approximately 9:00am on August 26. As a result of the executions of these warrants, Samuel Stanford was arrested on the aforementioned arrest warrant, and an extensive search was done of their apartment. As a result of this search, a substantial amount of evidence was recovered linking Samuel Stanford to the crime for which the arrest warrant was issued, as well as evidence of other crimes. The latter evidence resulted in subsequent charges against Samuel Stanford and another occupant of the apartment, Edward Stanford, who was present during the warrant executions. Edward Stanford is the brother of Samuel Stanford. 

 

After the search warrant was executed, and all the aforementioned evidence had been properly secured, I opined that, based on the preceding facts, there was probable cause to charge Samuel Stanford and Edward Stanford with the following violations of Massachusetts General Law:

 

Possession of Ammunition without FID Card; Possession of a Firearm without FID Card; (NOTE: Neither Samuel Stanford nor Edward Stanford possess a FID Card) Possession of Class “A” Substance; Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class “A” Substance.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Detective Paul Duffy #200