WOBURN, MASS. (WHDH) - A Cambridge man charged with illegally purchasing, possessing ammunition has been ordered held on $25,000 bail, officials say.
On March 2, Wilmington police responded to Shriners Auditorium for a report of a disruptive patron at the Northeast Gun Show, and upon arrival, officers allegedly located Brian Schwarztrauber, 54, who was being disruptive and refused to leave the show, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
When police approached Schwarztrauber, they also allegedly detected a strong odor of alcohol, and while speaking to the defendant they received notification from Cambridge police concerning statements allegedly made by the defendant indicating that he was going to use a firearm and ammunition to allegedly conduct a shooting spree, officials say.
Due to his level of intoxication, he was placed into protective custody while officers continued to investigate the incident.
While officers were taking Schwarztrauber into custody, they learned from an employee of the gun show that Schwarztrauber had allegedly purchased ammunition at the gun show without a Firearms Identification Card, officials say.
Police say they located three 50 round boxes of PPU Handgun Line 9mm Luger ammunition in the defendant’s vehicle.
Schwarztrauber was arrested and charged with possessing ammunition without an FID Card.
Through their investigation, Cambridge police learned that Schwarztrauber was at the gun show in Wilmington and notified Wilmington police.
Cambridge police subsequently obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s Cambridge residence on March 3, where they allegedly located a box of Hornady Valkyrie 224 rifle ammunition, officials say.
No firearms were located at his Cambridge residence.
Cambridge police charged Schwarztrauber with possession of ammunition without a license, and he was arraigned on that charge Wednesday in Cambridge District Court.
In addition to being held on $25,000 bail, Schwarztrauber must wear a GPS monitoring device if he posts bail and is ordered to remain in Massachusetts, to consume no alcohol, to comply with alcohol monitoring, to consume no drugs without a prescription, to not possess any weapons or ammunition, to not attend any gun shows or gun stores where firearms are sold, to stay away from, and have no contact with, the witness and to abide by a restraining order, officials say.
Schwarztrauber is due back in court April 2 on the charge in Cambridge.
He is expected to be arraigned in Woburn District Court on the charges out of Wilmington at a later date.
Police located the vendor, Stephen Fowler, 69, of Guilford, Conn., on March 2 and charged him after an investigation into the sale of the ammunition on March 3, officials say.
Fowler was charged with selling ammunition without complying with the requirements relating to Firearms Identifications Cards and was arraigned in Woburn District Court March 5.
He was released on $500 cash bail and ordered not to sell firearms or ammunition in Massachusetts, and he returns to court May 22.
Schwarztrauber’s roommate, Amanda Greenfield, said she heard Schwarztrauber making threats on March 1 to go on a shooting spree.
“I overheard him say ‘I’ll have enough ammunition strapped to my back to get out of any situation.’ He made a comment: ‘I just need my super rifle, enough ammo to have a full magazine clipped. They will be dead. They will be dead,'” Greenfield said.
On the night of March 1, Greenfield says the two were separated by a thin wall.
She says she was on her laptop in the living room and could hear word-for-word her roommate’s telephone conversation.
“He did mention a lot of people from the Democratic party. I don’t know if they were intended targets,” Greenfield said.
She called 911. Cambridge police tracked down Schwarztrauber the next day at a gun show in Wilmington.
He was arrested there for illegal possession of ammunition and told Cambridge police he had more in his nightstand in his bedroom.
Police got a search warrant and found 20 live rounds of ammo.
In court documents, they say Schwarz-Trauber defended himself, telling officers he was just “spouting out in frustration” and was not serious.
He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.
Greenfield says she has no regrets and no doubts about she heard.
“It wasn’t something he could do or might do but something he absolutely was planning to do,” she said.
The incidents remain under investigation.
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