Lexington Man Facing Gun, Civil Rights Charges Ordered Held Without Bail

LEXINGTON, MA – A Lexington man facing racial harassment and firearm charges has been ordered held without bail, the Middlesex County District Attorney's office said.

Robert Ivarson, 49, was found dangerous at a hearing Friday, according to the DA's office. He will be held for 120 days.

Ivarson was originally charged earlier this month with three counts of civil rights violations and one count of criminal harassment after allegedly throwing banana peels on the yard of a neighboring family, who is black.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of possessing a firearm without a license, three counts of possessing ammunition without a license, three counts of possessing a large capacity firearm, three counts of possessing a large capacity feeding device and one count of being an armed career criminal after police searched his home Jan. 6.

Inside, police found 50 pounds of black gunpowder, 83 firearms and close to 10,000 rounds of ammunition and large-capacity feeding devices, the DA said.

In December, police responded to a report of banana peels being thrown into the driveway of a Lexington home. Officers were told that this wasn't the first time it had occurred; over the course of the year, 30 to 40 banana peels had allegedly been thrown into the driveway.

Police began to conduct video surveillance of the home and identified Ivarson, a nearby resident, as a suspect. He was arrested after police allegedly saw him throwing a banana peel onto the victim's driveway around 4:25 a.m. on Dec. 31.

Ivarson's next court appearance is scheduled for March 6.

Image via Middlesex County DA's office.