SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man was arrested after police pulled him over for illegally using a cell phone while driving and found several pounds of marijuana and a stolen firearm.
According to the Springfield Police Department, at around 8:15 p.m. on Friday, May 12th officers conducted a traffic stop after seeing a man using a cell phone while driving. The driver, identified as 29-year-old Frankie Santiago Jr. of Springfield, ultimately stopped the vehicle on Dale Street with three passengers in the car.
The driver and passengers were ordered out of the car after police saw several open containers of alcohol inside. Police seized a firearm that was reported stolen out of Springfield, approximately three pounds of marijuana, and more than $1,300.
The passengers were released and Santiago was arrested on the following charges:
- Possession of a Firearm without a License
- Possession of Ammunition without an FID
- Receiving Stolen Property under $1200
- Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug
- Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle
As of February 2020, the “hands-free” law here in Massachusetts prohibits drivers from using any electronic device, including mobile telephones, unless the device is used in hands-free mode. The penalty for violating the law is a $100 fine for the first offense.
