Crazy little traffic-stop story.

[HooVooLoo]

Sorry if this is a dupe, I do not recall seeing it on the forum yet.

From 2nd week of Aug 2010...

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A traffic stop early Saturday morning in the Merrimack Valley led to weapons and other charges after a Massachusetts state trooper found a stolen assault rifle and ammunition, as well was other stolen items, in the car.

At 2:55 a.m. Saturday, Trooper Matthew Topping observed a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero on Route 495 southbound in Haverhill after its driver did not dim his high beams despite the presence of traffic coming in the other direction on the northbound side. After stopping the Alero, Trooper Topping questioned the driver, JAMES P. MASSE, 38, of Manchester, N.H., who acknowledged that he did not have a driver’s license and could not give the full name of the car’s owner.

A subsequent check by Trooper Topping on the mobile data terminal in his cruiser revealed that MASSE’s driver’s license in Massachusetts had been suspended in 1998.

While conducting a visual inventory of the Alero, Trooper Topping noticed in the backseat a large rectangular case which he recognized as a carrying case for a shotgun or rifle. The case was partially open, and the trooper could see an ammunition box inside. Trooper Topping searched the box and found an AK-47 assault rifle, ammunition and three magazines. Specifically, the trooper located two fully-loaded 30-round magazines containing 7.62 X 39mm rounds, a six-round magazine containing five 7.62 X 39mm rounds, 35 additional 7.62 X 39mm rounds, and 50 9mm rounds.

Also observed in the car were a flat-screen television and a black bag containing a Sony Playstation 3 video game unit, three video games and 23 DVDs.

Further investigation by Trooper Topping revealed that the gun and electronics equipment had been reported stolen from a Raymond, N.H., house owned by a member of MASSE’s family. MASSE allegedly had recently being house-sitting for that relative while the family attended a wedding.

State Police placed MASSE under arrest on the following charges:


•Possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card;
•Possession of a large capacity firearm;
•Carrying a firearm without a firearm license;
•Possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card;
•Receiving stolen property over $250 (four counts);
•Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license; and
•Failure to dim headlights.

MASSE was booked at the State Police Barracks in Newbury and transferred to the Essex County jail in Middleton to be held prior to arraignment, which was scheduled for today in the Haverhill District Court.

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LOL! My favorite bit is that in reading the severity of all the charges, the last one might actually get the guy the largest penalty. That they even mentioned it is hysterical.

 

[S. Kelly]

Good piece of police work. And by a trooper, no less.

 

[JayD]

They will charge you with anything and everything. Its the DA's job to decide what will stick. Im sure he will go for a year, or continued without a finding.

 

[In God We Trust]

The reason for the "failure to dim headlights" charge is not to throw the book at him but to establish probable cause for the stop. No Failure to dim headlight=no legal reason for the vehicle to be stopped in the first place, thus rendering all other evidence found in the car "fruit of the poisionous tree" or illegally obtained evidence.

 

[Palladin]

I got stopped in Pelham NH last week for Failure to dim headlights. I was carrying, I lived and I didn't have any Newports!

 

[jcr]

Who doesn't close their rifle case when they put it in their car?

Even this idiot, who knew he was driving without a licence at 3 in the morning with a car full of stolen goods, would have closed the rifle case so that ammunition boxes wouldn't be showing.

Why the "testilying" when it is so obvious, and unnecessary? They were going to tow the car because they guy didn't have a license. That allows them to inventory the whole car. And that would have been enough for all the other charges anyway.

 

[Garys]

Who doesn't close their rifle case when they put it in their car?

Someone who is stupid enough to steal a gun from a relative he is house sitting for, drive for 12 years without a licence, and not know the name of the "friend" he borrowed the car from.

Even this idiot, who knew he was driving without a licence at 3 in the morning with a car full of stolen goods, would have closed the rifle case so that ammunition boxes wouldn't be showing.

If he was stupid enough not to dim his lights, then he was too dumb to know to close the case. I wonder if he half assed considered shooting the trooper and opened the case to get at the AK?

Why the "testilying" when it is so obvious, and unnecessary? They were going to tow the car because they guy didn't have a license. That allows them to inventory the whole car. And that would have been enough for all the other charges anyway.

Why I'll bet the trooper didn't know about that inventory search thing. Glad you pointed that out. Any other slanders against the trooper you'd like to share? [We really do need a sarcasm Icon]

 

[Boghog1]

The really need to close the border and keep those criminals from NH from coming down here

 

[Big_Red]

I got stopped in Pelham NH last week for Failure to dim headlights. I was carrying, I lived and I didn't have any Newports!

Nicely done. +1

 

[pdm]

Imagine if this Einstein of Crime had bothered to use the trunk. The trooper wouldn't have found anything.

 

[pernox]

Who doesn't close their rifle case when they put it in their car?

*snip*

Maybe he was thinking of using it..

When you steal from your own family, you're obviously lacking a few internal censors. Could be that he stole the guns with a nefarious purpose, and chickened out at the last minute. Hell - he might have popped the case open when he got pulled over and had a shootout planned.

 

[Jose]

Imagine if this Einstein of Crime had bothered to use [STRIKE]the trunk[/STRIKE] the headlamps properly. The trooper wouldn't have found anything.

Fixed it for you

 

[pdm]

I dunno Jose. I see lots of people that love them some highbeams. I don't think most of them are d-bags that steal guns from family.

I think we can all be glad that at least the majority of criminals are not that bright (or at least really lazy).

 

[MisterHappy]

Just to stir the pot...

The way that I understand the law, one is NOT required to dim one's lights for oncoming traffic on a divided highway.

I tried to find the appropriate cite, but my google-fu was not up to the challenge. I did get a link to a Glob column on high beams, and the divided highway exception was noted.

Just sayin'.....

 

[Fixxah]

Nice to have such trustworthy relatives. Society in general has lost one of the good ones. One wrist slap coming.

 

[cekim]

Not sure what's crazy about it... People doing dumb things generally show their hand in multiple ways at the same time. Expired tags, damaged tags, broken lights, car in disrepair, no license, expired license, etc...

 

[SeanT]

Just to stir the pot...

The way that I understand the law, one is NOT required to dim one's lights for oncoming traffic on a divided highway.

I tried to find the appropriate cite, but my google-fu was not up to the challenge. I did get a link to a Glob column on high beams, and the divided highway exception was noted.

Just sayin'.....

This was my understanding as well (divided highway means no requirement to dim). I'd be interested as well if there's a cite for this.