Cambridge Man Charged for Illegally Purchasing and Possessing Ammunition Vendor Also Charged

WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that Brian Schwarztrauber, 54 of Cambridge, was arraigned yesterday in Cambridge District Court for illegal possession of ammunition and is facing an additional charge after allegedly illegally purchasing 150 rounds of 9mm ammunition without a license at the Northeast Gun Show in Wilmington. The vendor that sold him that ammunition has also been charged.

On March 2, 2019, Wilmington Police responded to Shriners Auditorium for a report of a disruptive patron at the Northeast Gun Show.  Upon arrival officers allegedly located Schwarztrauber who was being disruptive and refused to leave the show. When police approached Schwarztrauber they also allegedly detected a strong odor of alcohol. While police were speaking to the defendant they received notification from Cambridge Police concerning statements allegedly made by the defendant indicating that he was going to use a firearm and ammunition to allegedly conduct a shooting spree.

Due to his level of intoxication the defendant was placed into protective custody while officers continued to investigate the incident.

While officers were taking the defendant into custody they learned from an employee of the gun show that Schwarztrauber had allegedly purchased ammunition at the gun show without a Firearms Identification (FID) Card. Police subsequently located three 50 round boxes of PPU Handgun Line 9mm Luger ammunition in the defendant’s vehicle. Schwarztrauber was arrested and charged with possessing ammunition without an FID card.

Through their investigation Cambridge Police learned that Schwarztrauber was at the gun show in Wilmington and notified Wilmington Police. Cambridge police subsequently obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s Cambridge residence on March 3, 2019 where they allegedly located a box of Hornady Valkyrie 224 rifle ammunition. No firearms were located. Cambridge Police charged Schwarztrauber with possession of ammunition without a license. He was arraigned on that charge yesterday in CambridgeDistrict Court.  Judge Roanne Sragow ordered him held on $25,000 cash bail and to be released only to a GPS monitoring device.  The defendant was also ordered to remain in Massachusetts, to consume no alcohol and to comply with alcohol monitoring, to consume no drugs without a prescription, to not possess any weapons or ammunition, to not attend any gun shows or gun stores where firearms are sold, to stay away from, and have no contact with, the witness and to abide by a restraining order.  The Assistant District Attorney assigned to that arraignment was Sam Zaganjori. The defendant’s next scheduled hearing is April 2, 2019 in Cambridge District Court

Police located the vendor, identified as Stephen Fowler, 69 of Guilford, Connecticut, on March 2 and charged him after an investigation into the sale of the ammunition on March 3. Fowler was charged with selling ammunition without complying with the requirements relating to Firearms Identifications Cards. Fowler was arraigned in Woburn District Court on March 5 and released on $500 cash bail and ordered not to sell firearms or ammunition in Massachusetts.  His next date is May 22, 2019 in Woburn District Court. 

The circumstances into this incident remain under investigation. Schwarztrauber is expected to be arraigned in Woburn District Court on the charges out of Wilmington at a later date.