Swansea Police Arrest Vermont Men On Weapons Charges

Swansea Police have arrested four Vermont men after finding weapons during a vehicle stop Friday night.

Sgt. Marc Haslam says an officer reported seeing a gray Dodge with Vermont license plates travelling at high rates of speed.

Another officer spotted a vehicle matching that description travelling at a high rate of speed along Route 103 and made a motor vehicle stop.

During the stop Haslam says the officer saw an open liquor bottle in possession of the front seat passenger and the driver making sudden movements to the area under his seat.

The driver, identified as 30-year-old Eric Poland of Milton, Vt., was taken out of the vehicle and police discovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun magazine in the driver's pocket and two loaded handguns under the driver's seat.

The remaining passengers were taken out of the vehicle and a further search uncovered loaded handgun magazines, pepper spray, survival knives, nun-chucks, modified brass knuckes, body armor, handcuffs and hand cuff keys.

Poland was placed under arrest and charged with numerous firearm possession charges, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of large capacity feeding device, malicious destruction of property, operating negligently, and disorderly conduct.

Two of the passengers, identified as 31-year-old Jon Lamoy of Milton, Vt. and 61-year-old Charles Livingston of Way Winsooki, Vt., were each charged with numerous firearm possession charges, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of large capacity feeding device, malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct.

The three men were processed at Swansea Police Headquarters before being transported to the New Bedford House of Correction where they were held on $25,000 cash bail.

Haslam says a fourth occupant, who was disabled, allegedly threw a bottle at another vehicle on Route 195 was released at the scene and will be summonsed into court on charges including possession of a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct.