Watervale Road Man Faces 9 Gun-Related Charges After Task Force Searches Home

Police seized three unlicensed guns, boxes of ammunition and evidence connecting a Watervale Road man to an outlaw motorcyle gang during the search of a home Wednesday.

Joseph Chase, 39, of 109 Watervale Road was ordered held on $10,000 bail by a Somerville District Court judge Wednesday on nine charges stemming from allegedly possessing unlicensed, unsecured guns and large capacity ammunition magazines.

Just before 6 a.m. Wednesday, a joint task force including Medford Police, the Drug Enforcement Agency, IRS and ATF raided Chase's North Medford home. Inside, they found a Long Branch bolt-action rifle, a Remington pump action shotgun, a FIE 12-gauge shotgun, two empty large capacity magazines and numerous boxes of ammunition, according to a police report written by Medford Police Officer Kevin Braxton.

Along with Chase, there were three other adults home at the time of the search along with a young child. No one at the home had licenses to possess the weapons and the guns were not secured properly, the report said.

Police also found articles related to membership of an "outlaw motorcycle gang," the report said.

A "no-knock" search warrant was obtained for Chase's home after DEA task force officer Matt Gutwill, a Framingham police officer, received information that Chase's 109 Watervale Road residence was allegedly involved in firearms and drug trade, the police report said.

Chase is charged with three counts of carrying a firearm without a license, three counts of improper storage of a firearm, two counts of possession of a large capacity firearm, and possession of a firearm without a firearm identity card, according to court records.

Somerville District Court Judge Neil Walker ordered Chase held on $10,000 cash or $100,000 bond bail in an arraignment Wednesday, according to court filings.

Chase is expected to appear in court next on March 28 for a probable cause hearing.