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70-year-old arrested after assault rifle, high-capacity magazines discovered in car

BOSTON – A 70-year-old Winthrop man was arrested after Boston police said they witnessed him driving a vehicle involved in a drug deal and then discovered an assault rifle in the SUV.

The alleged drug deal happened Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Columbia Road.

Police said Stephen J. White was driving a Ford Explorer with a female passenger when she got out and went into the KFC restaurant for what police said was a drug deal. When she got back into the explorer, police stopped her and discovered what they believe to be heroin.

During the investigation, White told police officers that he was armed. Boston police discovered a loaded handgun he was carrying and an AR-15 style gun with a folding stock and flash suppressor in the vehicle. Ten loaded high capacity magazines and a tactical vest were also discovered.

“There is no need for any citizen in the city of Boston to be carrying high powered weapons of this kind, and there are just too many of these guns out there,” Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said.

White is charged with unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm, 10 counts of unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device and knowingly being present where heroin is kept. His passenger, 29-year-old Krista McCaffrey of Winthrop, is charged with possession of a class B drug (heroin); she also had outstanding warrants for unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of class E drugs.