On 11/21/2018, while assigned to marked unit East-1, East-4 (Officer Driscoll) and I were dispatched to the area of Thorpe Street for reports of a male pacing back and forth in the street with no shirt on. The RP reported to dispatch that they believed that the party was under the influence. Upon my arrival I noted a shirtless male, pacing back and forth in front of 2X Thorpe Street. I radioed my exact location to Officer Driscoll and advised dispatch. I began speaking to the male, later to be identified as Mr. Sean Romano. I asked Mr. Romano if he was ok, and he stated He was fine and was just walking around. I asked him why he was shirtless and asked if he was cold. Mr. Romano stated that he was fine and it was warm out. I would like to note that at the time of this call, the temperature was below 40 degrees. Mr. Romano was acting erratically, pacing back and forth, and was continually attempting to secure the belt on his pants, as he kept walking and his pants would fall below his knees and it would take him another minute to figure this out. Mr. Romano then made his way into the garage that we were standing in front of. He informed me that this was the house he lived at.

Officer Driscoll arrived and began speaking to Mr. Romano. Mr. Romano continued to act in an erratic behavior. At this time I requested Cataldo Medics to come and evaluate Mr. Romano’s mental Health. While we waited for Cataldo, Mr. Romano continually told Officer Driscoll and me that we were trespassing against his rights and that we could not be in his home. We asked several times for him to then exit the garage and we would leave with him. Mr. Romano continually made his way over to the couch and tucking the blanket that was on the couch, down into the cushions. Officer Driscoll advised Mr. Romano several times to stop reaching down and to exit the garage with us. Cataldo arrived at this time and we asked Mr. Romano if he would come and speak to the EMT’s. He began to comply but then would stop and go back into the garage. While Mr. Romano was speaking to the EMT’s he was able to finally calm down. I noticed specific things in his behavior. Mr. Romano’s eye’s appeared to be “pinpoint”. He was continually scratching his body, and at one point he began to nod off. These are signs of ingesting of narcotic analgesics. Mr. Romano was also very warm to the touch, while he was standing in the cold you could noticeably see steam coming off of his body, this would be indicative of some sort of stimulant. I would like to note that I am a certified Drug Recognition Expert. Mr. Romano admitted to ingesting Marijuana and Narcotics.

At this point I noticed two plastic box-like items on the table in front of us. I recognized these through my training and experience to be gun “jigs” These jigs are very specific and only used in the manufacturing of firearms. The only way to obtain these specific jigs to my knowledge is to purchase what is known as an 80 percent gun kit. An 80 percent gun kit is a kit to which the firearm’s main receiver is 80 percent completed. The firearm is then finished with basic tools and is able to be constructed into a complete firearm.

This process can be done by anyone with basic Knowledge of hand tools and can be completed at home in a short period of time. There are also many instructional videos on YouTube. I also noted there to be what appeared to be, in my training experience, to be a live round of rifle ammunition on the floor in front of Mr. Romano. I explained what I saw to Officer Driscoll. At this time Officer’s Soares and Ribeiro arrived on scene. Officer Driscoll Explained to Mr. Romano it was time to get into the stretcher, Mr. Romano resisted this idea and began making his way back over to the Couch. Officer Driscoll and I attempted to handcuff Mr. Romano, as now we believed there to be loaded firearms in the area we were standing in. Mr. Romano at first resisted but then complied and was able to be handcuffed. Mr. Romano was secured onto the stretcher. Both Officer Soares and I then demanded for Mr. Romano to tell us where his LTC was. Mr. Romano told me that his LTC was issued to him in 1776, from the founding fathers.

I then Read Mr. Romano his rights from a card I keep in my vest pocket. Mr. Romano stated he understood his rights and agreed to speak to me. I asked Mr. Romano where the guns were that went with the jigs. He stated that he keeps them somewhere else and not in the house. Mr. Romano’s mother, XXXX came into the garage.

Officer Soares spoke to XXXX and determined that XXXX was the owner of the home and had access to the garage and she agreed to sign a search consent form. Please see Officer Soare’s supplemental report for more details on the search form.

While searching the garage, I found an unloaded 40 caliber handgun wedged in between two sections of the couch. This is the same area that Mr. Romano was tucking the blanket in. I also found a box containing 18 223 caliber rifle rounds inside an unsecured plastic box on the floor. Also in the box was an uncompleted 80 percent lower receiver for an AR-15.

The retail boxes that would contain the firearm jigs were located on the couch. Inside one box were various hand tools. Inside the other was, from my training and experience, recognized to be paraphernalia used in the consumption of marijuana. At this time, Mr. Romano was transported to Somerville hospital to be checked out. Officer Ribiero escorted him there, following the ambulance. I explained to XXXX, that we would be seeking a search warrant for her son’s room. The house was secured by Sergeant Holland until the shift change in which then Officer Cleary then remained on scene to make sure it stayed secure.

While Mr. Romano was at the hospital, Officer Ribiero was able to speak to him, please see her supplemental for all the details of this. She relayed to me that he informed her that he purchased the kits at a store called XXXX. A search for this store shows that it is in Westboro MA.
He also told her that the other kit belongs to a friend and would not tell her the friend’s name.

Mr. Romano was transported from Somerville Hospital, back to the station via the prisoner transport vehicle (Unit 200) and was booked in the usual manner. After booking, Mr. Romano was given the opportunity to speak with detectives and gave consent to search his bedroom. Please see Sergeant Fusco’s supplemental for further information.

A search of Mr. Romano’s bedroom showed no other firearms, ammunition, or parts to assemble said firearms.

Mr. Romano will be charged with:
Possession of a firearm without a license
Possession of ammunition without a license
Possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Respectfully submitted,

Officer Christopher Fusco #328