Brookline weapons hoarder released on $5k bail

wickedlocal.com ^ | 17 July, 2012 | Teddy Applebaum

[marktwain]

Brookline —

A Brookline man charged on two warrants and 39 firearm violations was released on $5,000 bail today.

Richard Becker, 55, of 181 Harvard St., was fitted with a GPS ankle bracelet and is due back to Brookline District Court for a pre-trial hearing on July 19.

He cannot have any weapons, a bail condition imposed during an appeal hearing on June 29.

Becker was arrested on was arrested Monday, June 11, and charged on two warrants out of Quincy District Court, and 39 firearm violations. Becker lived in a three-story brick home just blocks away Coolidge Corner.

Police found swords, knives, and 36 guns, including several high-powered assault weapons in his home. All of the guns were unlicensed.

Becker is facing 39 charges, including eleven counts of possession of a large capacity rifle, 10 counts of possession of a large capacity firearm, fourteen counts of possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a rifle. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a silencer, and one count of possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Among the weapons police took from the home were an AK-47, an Uzi, a TEC-9 pistol, and a colt-AR-15—a popular assault weapon used by the US military.

He was held without bail at his arraignment on June 14 and was later determined dangerous during a hearing on June 20, which he appealed on June 29.

[marktwain]

The judge found him to be a flight risk because? It must not have been a good reason for his appeal to get him released on 5K bail so quickly.

This is what happens to people who dare to exercise their rights in MA without government permission.

[Former War Criminal]

MA = MASSACHUSETTS

[TexasRedeye]

...colt-AR-15—a popular assault weapon used by the US military.

Never have been and never will be used by the U.S. military! Stupid reporters!

One of those: If it is a BLACK rifle, it is EVIL.

[Squantos]

Wonder who was in charge of Massachusetts when these BS laws were passed ?…

< / sarcasm>

Sad when I own legally in my state what this man was jailed for in another.

Vote with your dollars between elections folks.

But make real sure you vote.

[Fully Awake DAV]

“ar-15...maybe the jack donkeys need to do some research before writing...

So tired of lame brained media calling a semi auto firearm an assault weapon. Obviously they are all too brain dead, or firearm illiterate to understand the difference. Also, unlicensed weapon...how stupid...stupid..stupid..Nothing is a weapon until used as a weapon, until that time it is just an inanimate object.

[Tainan]

From a 20 Jun article:(link)
But Becker’s public defender, Joanna Sandman, painted a rosier picture of her client, arguing there’s no evidence he’s been violent or threatened anybody in the past, and pointing out he’s never been arrested before. She called in Becker’s longtime neighbor, Abraham Schickler, to testify to that effect.

“I don’t think he would harm anybody,” Schickler said, adding that he’s not afraid of Becker, even after learning about the weapons

Sandman didn’t say why her client had the weapons, but she implied he used them recreationally, providing evidence he was a member of a local sporting association and gun club until 2010. She said owning guns wasn’t in it of itself reason to find somebody dangerous.

“He’s led a quiet, unassuming life for the past 50 years,” she said, adding that he has no history of mental health problems. “Dangerousness isn’t just about possession of a weapon.”

But Curtin (Brookline District Court Judge Tricia Curtin) cut her off, questioning why anybody would need a “huge cache” of weapons —especially assault weapons. Sandman said she’s appealing the ruling, but wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the case.

What a sad friggin' state of affairs.
Brookline District Court Judge Tricia Curtin should read about "Unintended Consequences" for judicial actions such as this. This guy hasn't done a damn thing to deserve this barbaric treatment.

Neighbors say Brookline weapons hoarder was a kind perfectionist

[Nik Naym]

“Stupid reporters!

One of those: If it is a BLACK rifle, it is EVIL. “

I am sick of this “assault weapon” crap all the time too.

Of course you can use it for assault. It’s a WEAPON. That’s the whole point for cripes sakes.

[Nik Naym]

I am so sick of this crap.

Hoard?

39 is a collection. Not a hoard.

Dumb ass chicken crap scardycat wussie “journalists” make me want to puke.

[from occupied ga]

This is what happens to people who dare to exercise their rights in MA without government permission.

Ma has fallen and it probably will never get up. The home of the "shot heard round the world" is now a tyrannical police state with the spiritual descendents of Col Smith and General Gage in charge. The blue thugs in MA should change their uniforms to red

After all they're doing what the government of MA originally sought to do on April 19, 1775

Of the thousands of minute men who answered the call and chased Smith's men back to Boston there remains no trace of their spirit of independence in MA just the ones that Sam Adams referred to in his "lick the hands that feed you" comment.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

What is particularly amusing is that he lived about a block from Cooleridge Corner. Cooleridge Corner is to ponytailed moonbats what Medina is to Muslims, not Mecca, but one of their holy sites. Visit it if you are ever in Massachusetts with some time on your hands. Every car is festooned with moonbat bumper stickers, even the mosquitos in Cooleridge Corner are Democrats. When I go, I feel like Sir Richard Burton visiting Mecca, or Leon Turrou at a Bund meeting or Medgar Evers attending a Klan rally disguised in a white hood.

I understand his anxiety, given where he lived, but he might have been happier if he just moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where he would just have been the guy down the street with a modest gun collection.

[2111USMC]

All of the guns were unlicensed.

WTF! I don't own ANY firearms that are "licensed".

[Nik Naym]

“even the mosquitos in Cooleridge Corner are Democrats.”

ALL mosquitoes are democrats. They ARE blood sucking parasites, after all.

[Pontiac]

But Curtin (Brookline District Court Judge Tricia Curtin) cut her off, questioning why anybody would need a “huge cache” of weapons —especially assault weapons.

Why would anyone need a “huge cache” of Hummels? Why would anyone need a "huge cache" of Beany Babies?

This is not a communist country where the state determines what we need and what we can have!

If a man decides he wants to collect varnished dog droppings he is within his rights to do so and the state should dutifully ignore all protestations of the populace to the contrary.

[nonsporting]

Weapons hoarder? Look who’s paranoid.

No respectible Arizonan would have fewer than a dozen. Hunters might have several for each game class. Collectors might invest in 10’s or 100’s of interesting items.

ARs are like potato chips. Who can be satisfied with just one?

[Paine in the Neck]

Of the thousands of minute men who answered the call and chased Smith's men back to Boston there remains no trace of their spirit of independence in MA...

We're all gone to Texas to fight on better ground.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Police found swords, knives, and 36 guns, including several high-powered assault weapons in his home.

We have a name for people like this in Texas!

Slacker. :-)

Say, what’s a “high powered assault weapon”? And how is it different from a “low powered assault weapon”?

[marktwain]

A “low powered assault rifle” would be a daisy Red Ryder BB gun, as defined by New Jersey law.

A “high powered assault rifle” would be any center-fire semi-auto that can accept a detachable magazine.

This is just part of Goldilocks gun control. Guns are either too little or too big, too reliable or not reliable enough, too unusual or too common, too military or not military. They are never “just right”.

[An American!]

Massachusetts Gun Licensing Requirements

Complying with the Gun Control Act of 1998
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/hed/hed_gun_laws.htm

Effective June 1, 1998, all new firearm license applicants must complete a certified firearms safety course or Basic Hunter Education Course

The new law creates two types of licenses to carry (LTC):

CLASS “A” LTC: Permits the purchase, possession and carrying of all ammunition, handguns, rifles, shotguns and feeding devices (both large and non-large capacity). This is the only license that allows the carrying of concealed handguns-either loaded or unloaded.

CLASS “B” LTC: Permits the purchase, possession and carrying of all ammunition, non-large capacity handguns, and all rifles and shotguns (large and non-large capacity).

Actual Law can be found here: http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/1998/Chapter180

And for those wondering Mitt Romney was Governor of MA from January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007. It was Governor Paul Cellucci that signed it into law. And here is the analysis done in 2008 on the Decade of disaster since it going into affect: http://www.goal.org/newspages/decadeofdisaster.html

[G Larry]

The Second Amendment IS his “LICENSE”!

[An American!]

BS laws were passed in 1998. Governor Paul Cellucci signed it into law. It was and still is the most far-reaching gun law in the history of the United States. See my other post above this one for the details.