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Police: Gun stolen in CA in '97 turns up in Boston arrest

Courtesy: Boston Police Department

BOSTON — Two men driving a speeding car with a canceled license plate were pulled over and arrested by Boston police when officers said they found an illegal gun in the car, according to a release from the Boston Police Department.

Anthony Villafane, 26, and Michael Gerald, 24, both from Roslindale were arrested on several charges Wednesday morning.

Officers said they saw a car speeding down Archdale Road near Forest Hills in Roslindale. When officers checked the license plate, they said it came back as canceled and not belonging to the car,

Police said Villafane was driving an unregistered, uninsured car.

When the officers approached they said both men tried to get out of the car. When they said Gerald started fumbling with a backpack on the floorboards as they were speaking with them, they decided to search the vehicle.

Police say the officers found a loaded Tec-9 firearm. The Tec-9 is a pistol that was discontinued in 2001 and was explicitly banned by federal legislation.

According to police, the gun found in the car was reported stolen in Covino, California on Dec. 12, 1997.

Villafane faces charges for driving without a license and driving an uninsured car.

Gerald faces charges for an illegal gun, illegal ammunition, illegal possession of a loaded gun, receiving stolen property and carrying a dangerous weapon.