Police Find Loaded Gun After Arresting Newton Man

NEWTON, MA — A Newton man faces gun and drug charges after Boston Police ran his plates during a routine traffic stop in Chinatown.

About 6:18 p.m. on Mon. Dec. 31, officers saw a car idling in front of a fire hydrant in the area of Harrison Avenue and Oxford Place in Boston's Chinatown. The officers ran the license plate, which came back showing an invalid inspection sticker.

With that, the police officers approached the car and saw the driver, later identified as Mandell Johnson, 26 of Newton, grab a shopping bag to cover his lap. This in turn prompted police officers to shine their flashlights into the car, where they said they saw drug paraphernalia, including empty baggies, several small plastic baggies containing a green "vegetable" matter police believed were marijuana. Police said the baggies were knotted and packaged in a manner consistent with the sale of narcotics.

Johnson was arrested and charged with possession with intent to Distribute, Class D, Drugs, and Possession of Class B, Drugs.

Officers later found a loaded .22 caliber ATI German Sport Gun 1911 inside the glove box. As a result, the man will also be charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Johnson is scheduled to face arraignment in Boston Municipal Court.

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff