Gun cache traced to police officer
Lawrence sergeant is placed on leave
By Associated Press, 10/19/2002
REMONT, N.H. - A Massachusetts police officer who kept sniper rifles and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in a storage facility had no business possessing the items, his boss said yesterday.
Police recovered two M1 Garand military sniper rifles, tear gas grenades, riot control spray, and a bomb-dismantling tool kit after investigating a break-in at a self-storage business.
Lawrence (Mass.) Police Sergeant John F. Sapienza, who rented one of the burglarized units, told police he personally owned the weapons, Fremont Police Chief Neal Janvrin said.
Lawrence Police Chief John Romero said yesterday that Sapienza had served as a bomb squad officer and department armorer until four years ago, when he was removed from those positions and ordered to turn in all related weapons and ammunition. He now works as a supervisor on the midnight shift, but has been placed on administrative leave.
''He had no right to possess this stuff,'' Romero told The Eagle-Tribune. ''We want to know what the connection is with New Hampshire.''
Some of the boxes holding the 10,600 rounds of ammunition were marked ''Police Department Lawrence,'' but the words were crossed out with a black marker.
Sapienza could not be reached yesterday morning through the Lawrence police.
The break-in was discovered Monday.
A tip from an informant led police to two suspects and the stolen items. James Vasquez, 30, of Raymond, and Randy Sebring, 30, Manchester, were arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary, vandalism, and theft of firearms.
Sebring and Vasquez were released on bail pending arraignment Dec. 17 in Exeter District Court.
Police do not believe the pair had prior knowledge that the storage space contained weapons.
''They thought they found something that they could easily turn into cash,'' Janvrin said.
Fremont Detective Sergeant Reese Bassett said he was confident all the weapons and ammunition were recovered. It is not illegal to own any of the weapons, with the possible exception of the tear gas grenades, Bassett said.
Most of the ammunition was .223-caliber bullets, the size being used by the sniper terrorizing the Washington, D.C., area. But police stressed they do not believe the case has any connection with the Washington sniper. None of the ammunition in the unit fits the rifles that were recovered.
Bassett said Sapienza told him he bought the rifles at a gun show and was planning to move to nearby Sandown.
Janvrin said he suspects the weapons were sold by the military to a police department. He said such programs usually require police to return the weapons if they are no longer needed, to prevent them from being sold privately.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/292/metro/Gun_cache_traced_to_police_officer+.shtml
Lawrence sergeant is placed on leave
By Associated Press, 10/19/2002
REMONT, N.H. - A Massachusetts police officer who kept sniper rifles and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in a storage facility had no business possessing the items, his boss said yesterday.
Police recovered two M1 Garand military sniper rifles, tear gas grenades, riot control spray, and a bomb-dismantling tool kit after investigating a break-in at a self-storage business.
Lawrence (Mass.) Police Sergeant John F. Sapienza, who rented one of the burglarized units, told police he personally owned the weapons, Fremont Police Chief Neal Janvrin said.
Lawrence Police Chief John Romero said yesterday that Sapienza had served as a bomb squad officer and department armorer until four years ago, when he was removed from those positions and ordered to turn in all related weapons and ammunition. He now works as a supervisor on the midnight shift, but has been placed on administrative leave.
''He had no right to possess this stuff,'' Romero told The Eagle-Tribune. ''We want to know what the connection is with New Hampshire.''
Some of the boxes holding the 10,600 rounds of ammunition were marked ''Police Department Lawrence,'' but the words were crossed out with a black marker.
Sapienza could not be reached yesterday morning through the Lawrence police.
The break-in was discovered Monday.
A tip from an informant led police to two suspects and the stolen items. James Vasquez, 30, of Raymond, and Randy Sebring, 30, Manchester, were arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary, vandalism, and theft of firearms.
Sebring and Vasquez were released on bail pending arraignment Dec. 17 in Exeter District Court.
Police do not believe the pair had prior knowledge that the storage space contained weapons.
''They thought they found something that they could easily turn into cash,'' Janvrin said.
Fremont Detective Sergeant Reese Bassett said he was confident all the weapons and ammunition were recovered. It is not illegal to own any of the weapons, with the possible exception of the tear gas grenades, Bassett said.
Most of the ammunition was .223-caliber bullets, the size being used by the sniper terrorizing the Washington, D.C., area. But police stressed they do not believe the case has any connection with the Washington sniper. None of the ammunition in the unit fits the rifles that were recovered.
Bassett said Sapienza told him he bought the rifles at a gun show and was planning to move to nearby Sandown.
Janvrin said he suspects the weapons were sold by the military to a police department. He said such programs usually require police to return the weapons if they are no longer needed, to prevent them from being sold privately.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/292/metro/Gun_cache_traced_to_police_officer+.shtml