Assault rifle stolen from Worcester armory recovered from Dorchester woman
A Dorchester woman was arrested Friday afternoon after authorities uncovered one of the weapons stolen from the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Worcester earlier this month in her possession, according to an announcement from Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
Ashley Bigsbee, 26, is charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun and making false statements, authorities said. She allegedly purchased an M-4 assault rifle from the New York man who robbed the armory.
Sixteen weapons valued at more than $1,000 were stolen on Nov. 14 from the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Worcester. Later that week, James Walker Morales, 34, was arrested on Long Island for the theft after officials released video footage and photos of a suspect loading weapons from the armory into a black vehicle in a heist that lasted more than five hours.
Days after Morales’s arrest, three of the weapons were found in a park across from Yankee Stadium. Now, another has been uncovered in Bigsbee’s possession.
Bigsbee was arrested Nov. 20 on an unrelated, outstanding warrant, according to Ortiz. A search of her cell phone revealed a photo of her holding what appeared to be a Sig Sauer handgun and M-4 assault rifle stolen from the Worcester armory, but Bigsbee denied knowing anything about the stolen weapons Morales was attempting to sell, authorities said.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Bigsbee’s Page Street residence that day, but did not find the weapons. They did recover the M-4 assault rifle a week later in Dorchester after a related development, authorities said.
Bigsbee appeared in U.S. District Court in Worcester, and will remain in U.S. Marshal custody until her detention hearing on Dec. 3.
Morales is still in U.S. Marshal custody.
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