DEERFIELD — A Springfield man was arrested on firearms charges earlier this month after being caught driving over 95 mph on Interstate 91 in Deerfield.
Carlos Garcia, 21, was taken to the Shelburne Falls barracks of the Massachusetts State Police on Dec. 11 to be photographed, fingerprinted and booked. He pleaded not guilty in Greenfield District Court to possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card and speeding.
According to a State Police press release, troopers Timothy Martin and Matthew McBride were on patrol at roughly 9:25 p.m. when Martin saw a red Honda SUV traveling faster than 95 mph while heading northbound on Interstate 91. The troopers caught up with the vehicle and stopped it, making contact with the driver, who identified himself as Garcia.
Garcia allegedly could not produce his driver’s license and reportedly showed an unusual amount of nervousness, handing the troopers unrelated paperwork when asked for his registration, the release states. Garcia reportedly also positioned his body to conceal the area between the center console and the driver’s seat, but McBride saw a metallic object protruding from this area of the vehicle.
The troopers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and learned that the metallic object was the slide (the steel upper portion) of an FN Five-seveN handgun with a 10-round magazine inserted in it and one round in the chamber. According to the release, Garcia, who does not have a license to carry a firearm, was then arrested.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.