In the News

Springfield Police Department and Regional Partners Announce Results of Two Significant Investigations

07/06/2021

On Tuesday July 6th, Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, Chief Doug Bartlett of the United States Marshal’s Service, Brian Persons of the ATF Boston Field Division and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced the culmination of two investigations which led to the seizure of eight firearms and five arrests during a news conference at Springfield Police Headquarters.

In March Detectives in the Springfield Police Narcotics Bureau along with our partners in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Boston Field Division began a firearms investigation with Anas Nichols as the target of the investigation.

On July 1^st, members of the Springfield Police Department’s Narcotics Bureau, Massachusetts State VFAS, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department., U.S. Marshal’s Task Force and Springfield Police Warrant Apprehension Unit went to an apartment on the 100 block of White Street to locate an individual and serve a Hampden County Juvenile Court warrant. While searching for that individual (who was not home), officers located ammunition under a bed and held the scene for a search warrant. This ammunition was located in Mr. Anas Nichols’ bedroom.

Members of the Warrant Apprehension Unit contacted Detectives in the Narcotics Bureau and were informed about the ongoing investigation. A hold was placed on the apartment pending the issuance of a District Court Search Warrant. Once the Warrant was issued, Detectives searched the home for additional evidence.

When officers executed the search warrant they located:

9mm loaded firearm
Glock 45 9mm loaded Firearm with a 30 round magazine (28 rounds loaded)
Ghost Gun with a 30 round magazine
Loaded 22 Firearm
More than 300 rounds of various Ammunition
Loaded 50 round magazine
Loaded 9mm Glock magazine
Loaded 10 round magazine
Laser Sight Firearms Attachment
17 round Glock magazine

Mr. Nichols and Shonique Nichols were arrested on firearms charges.

“I’d like to thank our partners in the Massachusetts State Police VFAS, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Marshal’s Service who work together with our Narcotics Detectives and Warrant Apprehension Unit every day apprehending some of the most dangerous suspects in our city. The joint investigation with the ATF and our Narcotics Bureau also led to the numerous high capacity firearms and magazines being taken off the street and helped curb senseless violence,” said Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood.

“We could not be more proud to work alongside our partners in public safety and get a result like we did in this investigation,” said Sheriff Nick Cocchi. “Collaborations like this mean less violence and drugs on the streets of Hampden County. We appreciate all the law enforcement agencies involved in this case and their tireless work in making our community a safer place.”

On Saturday July 3^rd, Springfield Police Narcotics Detectives were conducting a firearms investigation with Benjamin Hunter-Blake and Kahsim Wilson as the targets. Officers arrested Hunter-Blake in 2018 and 2019 on firearms charges and he was found guilty in both cases. Mr. Wilson has an open firearms case from a December 2020 arrest.

Detectives received information on Saturday that Wilson and Hunter-Blake were in possession of a firearm. Detectives located a vehicle Wilson and Hunter-Blake were traveling in with an unidentified driver. The driver parked at a home on College Street and Detectives conducted a stop in a driveway and secured all three individuals pending further investigation.

Inside the car Detectives recovered four loaded firearms:

Taurus PT945 loaded with eight rounds in the magazine and one in chamber
Glock 42.380 loaded with six in the magazine and one in the chamber
Citadel 1911-A1CS .45 Caliber loaded with seven in the magazine and one in the chamber for a total of eight rounds
Sig Sauer P320 loaded with 17 rounds in the magazine for a total of 18 rounds

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated, “First of all, I commend and fully support the continued leadership of Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, our brave and dedicated men and women in blue, and our state and federal partners. Our SPD are making arrests and raids every day to take these poison dealing and gun toting repeat violent offenders off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. I want to thank all of our public safety partners who collaborated together and the great work they do day in and day out to keep our residents and business community safe. This was a tremendous joint effort from all parties involved and I want to personally thank Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Chief Doug Bartlett of the United States Marshal’s Service, Brian Person of the ATF Boston Field Division, the Massachusetts State Police VFAS and all of their respective personnel who took part in these investigations. Now I implore our courts to do their jobs and keep them locked up. My residents, business community and I demand that our courts stop their revolving door justice policy. Please hold these repeat violent offenders accountable. They are laughing at that system as they go right back out on our streets and into our neighborhoods perpetrating the same mayhem.”

“A year ago here in Massachusetts the issue of police reform was taken up by the state legislature. At the time of this conversation many of us in law enforcement and beyond cautioned to be mindful of the unintended consequences of the bill. Many of the concerns we raised went unheeded. Today, what you are seeing across America and the evidence shown during this news conference is demonstrable evidence of those unintended consequences,” said Springfield Police Captain Brian Keenan.

The Springfield Police Department has now seized 109 illegally possessed firearms this year.

Charges from the July 1^st Arrests:

21 year old Anas Nichols of Springfield is charged with: