Loaded Guns Recovered, 2 Men Arrested In Stamford: Police

STAMFORD, CT — Two loaded guns were seized and two men were arrested this week following a multi-week investigation by the Stamford Police Department's Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad (NOC).

Roland Newton and Lance Rhodes, both 37 and Stamford residents, were arrested around 7:15 p.m. on April 23 near the 80-block of Pequot Drive on the city's West Side, Assistant Stamford Police Chief Richard Conklin said.

Rhodes was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of ammunition and illegal transfer of a firearm. Newton faces the same charges plus interfering with police.

NOC received information that Newton and Rhodes, who are both convicted felons and well-known to the SPD, were in possession of firearms, Conklin said.

Officers located the men and approached them as they exited a parked car, but Newton started to run away, Conklin said, noting he was arrested after a brief struggle.

Newton was in possession of a tan colored Glock “43X” 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with nine rounds, Conklin said.

As officers were tending to Newton, Rhodes discarded a black Glock “26” 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 10 rounds underneath a nearby pickup truck, Conklin said.

A search of Newton’s vehicle resulted in one additional round being located as well as a Glock gun case which belonged to the gun that Rhodes tried to get rid of, Conklin said.

Newton posted a $250,000 bond on Thursday. Rhodes' bond was raised to $300,000 and he was remanded to custody, Conklin said. He was later taken to Bridgeport Correctional Facility.

The guns did not come back as being stolen, Conklin said. An investigation is ongoing.

"Both of these parties, being convicted felons, could not buy [the firearms]," Conklin said. "We'll attempt to trace these firearms and try to ascertain how these two came into possession of them."

Both men are scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior court on May 7.