Among the charges: "...three counts of possession of an infernal machine and possession of a machine gun (bump stock)..."

Uh...what's an "infernal machine?"

Complete article, with a photo of their "arsenal" (which I'll admit is more than I usually carry when traveling).

http://www.bostonherald.com/ne...under_bump_stock_ban

Texas duo become first in nation charged under bump-stock ban

O’Ryan Johnson Monday, March 26, 2018

A Texas couple became the first in the nation to be charged for bump stock possession after Tewksbury cops found an AK-47, an AR-15 with a grenade launcher, a large capacity shotgun, a bump stock and numerous rounds of ammunition in their hotel room, authorities said.

Francho Bradley, 59, and Adrianne Jennings, 40, both of Frisco, Texas, were ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing after they were arraigned for breaking numerous firearms laws, including possession of a bump stock.

In February, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban bump stocks in the wake of last year's Las Vegas massacre. Bradley and Jennings are believed to be the first suspects arrested for violation of the ban, said Meghan Kelly, spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.

Prosecutors said Bradley called the police himself Saturday afternoon.

“A Tewksbury dispatcher received a call from Bradley where he allegedly stated that he believed his hotel room was being broken into because a video surveillance device that he had attached to his door had cut out,” prosecutors said in a press release. “The defendant allegedly expressed concerns that he was not in Tewksbury and that inside the room was a firearm that was unsecured.”

Once inside the room, police found the arsenal.

Bradley and Jennings, who had driven from Texas to Massachusetts with the weapons, were charged with multiple counts of possession of a large capacity firearm, multiple counts of improper storage of a large capacity firearm, three counts of possession of a silencer, one count of possession of a firearm without a license, one count of possession of ammunition without a license, three counts of possession of an infernal machine and possession of a machine gun (bump stock), authorities said.

Judge Ellen Caulo ordered both defendants held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.

"This investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Tewksbury Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms," Kelly said in a statement. "At this point in time we do not believe there is any additional threat to public safety; however our investigation is continuing. As this is an active investigation no additional information is being released at this time."

Since a bump stock is not legally a machine gun, hopefully this gets fought and the whole precedent gets shut down.

quote:

“A Tewksbury dispatcher received a call from Bradley where he allegedly stated that he believed his hotel room was being broken into because a video surveillance device that he had attached to his door had cut out,” prosecutors said in a press release. “The defendant allegedly expressed concerns that he was not in Tewksbury and that inside the room was a firearm that was unsecured.”

Who installs their own security in a hotel room. That seems odd.

quote:

an AR-15 with a grenade launcher

Sounds like they were getting ready to repel boarders.

quote:

Originally posted by zipriderson:

quote:

“A Tewksbury dispatcher received a call from Bradley where he allegedly stated that he believed his hotel room was being broken into because a video surveillance device that he had attached to his door had cut out,” prosecutors said in a press release. “The defendant allegedly expressed concerns that he was not in Tewksbury and that inside the room was a firearm that was unsecured.”

Who installs their own security in a hotel room. That seems odd.

Not a bad idea. I have had things stolen from a hotel room.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by zipriderson:

quote:

“A Tewksbury dispatcher received a call from Bradley where he allegedly stated that he believed his hotel room was being broken into because a video surveillance device that he had attached to his door had cut out,” prosecutors said in a press release. “The defendant allegedly expressed concerns that he was not in Tewksbury and that inside the room was a firearm that was unsecured.”

Who installs their own security in a hotel room. That seems odd.

Not a bad idea. I have had things stolen from a hotel room.

May I rephrase zip's question: "Who installs security in their own room and is then stupid enough to call the cops when there are several illegal firearms in the room?"

quote:

Uh...what's an "infernal machine?"

2006 Massachusetts Code - Section 102A. Infernal machine; possession; definition; notice of seizure.

Section 102A. Whoever, other than a police or other law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his official duties, has in his possession or under his control an infernal machine or a similar instrument, contrivance or device shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years or in jail for not more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and the said machine, instrument, contrivance or device shall be forfeited to the commonwealth. The term “infernal machine”, as used in this section, shall include any device for endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both, by fire or, explosion, whether or not contrived to ignite or explode automatically and whether or not disguised so as to appear harmless. Notice of the seizure of any such machine, instrument, contrivance or device shall be sent forthwith to the commissioner of public safety and the article seized shall be subject to his order.

The arsenal:

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
a bump stock is not legally a machine gun

It is if the applicable statute says it is.
It’s no different than calling a sound suppressor a “firearm” as it is on the NFA registration form. Although my memory is a little vague on the subject now, I believe cocaine is legally defined as a narcotic by Federal law despite the fact that it doesn’t act the same way as drugs such as morphine and its derivatives.

In Massachusetts the letter I got doesn't seem to say a bump stock is a machine gun. It actually says even a license for a machine gun doesn't allow you to have a bump stock.

I don't know about the rest of their stuff, but that Webley Mk IV .455 is definitely an infernal machine!

quote:

Judge Ellen Caulo ordered both defendants held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.

"This investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Tewksbury Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms," Kelly said in a statement. "At this point in time we do not believe there is any additional threat to public safety; however our investigation is continuing. As this is an active investigation no additional information is being released at this time."

Well, no one will say that Massachusetts ignored a threat like Sheriff Israel did in Broward County, FL.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
In Massachusetts the letter I got doesn't seem to say a bump stock is a machine gun.

Yes, but what does the statute say? It doesn’t matter what a follow-up letter says.
(I tried finding the original statute, but Google keeps directing me to articles about the law, not the law itself.)

In any event, how many times have BSmedia companies or even law enforcement agencies gotten things wrong in their descriptions of firearms-related offenses?

There's no federal law (yet). But MA has it's own.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com...8397e4b0a52682ffa243

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Since a bump stock is not legally a machine gun, hopefully this gets fought and the whole precedent gets shut down.

Grenade launcher. Now that is handy!

Should have stayed in Texas.

This “Legal Update” issued by some agency in Massachusetts states in reference to the law, “The appropriate charge would be unlicensed possession of a machine gun.”

Why the fuck does someone need a grenade launcher on a road trip?

quote:

Originally posted by Green Highlander:
Why the fuck does someone need a grenade launcher on a road trip?

Never know when you're going to run into zombies.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
Uh...what's an "infernal machine?"

Sounds like something along these lines:

“Infernal machine” was commonly used to refer to anarchists’ bombs around the turn of the 20th century, as in this headline.

I suspect the Massachusetts statutory language dates from that usage.