Rhode Island State Police Arrest Three Subjects for Possession of a Stolen Firearm

On March 1, 2015,  Troopers assigned to The Lincoln Woods Barracks conducted a motor vehicle stop for speeding and several other moving violations on Route 95 in the City of Providence.  Troopers seized a loaded stolen .22 Caliber Smith & Wesson-Walther pistol from under the driver’s seat during the motor vehicle stop.  The pistol was reported stolen to the Lanesborough Police Department in the State of Massachusetts on May 16, 2014, from a residential house break.

The operator, identified as Paulo Correa, age 24, of 18 Newton Lane, Hadley, Massachusetts, was taken into custody and transported to the Lincoln Woods Barracks.   Correa had a prior conviction for Assault with a Deadly Weapon from October of 2008 where he received one year suspended sentence and 90 days to serve.  He was processed and held overnight pending an arraignment at the 6th Division of the District Court on March 2, 2015 on the following charges:

Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by person convicted of a Crime of Violence, License or Permit required for Carrying a Pistol, Reckless Driving,  and Operating After Suspension

Two passengers inside the vehicle were also arrested and returned to the Lincoln Woods Barracks.  They were identified as Silvio Semedo, age 25, of 162 Praire Avenue, Providence; and Jailson Varela, age 30, of 21 Fairview Avenue, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

All three subjects were arraigned this morning before the Honorable Stephen M. Isherwood.

A person convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm shall be guilty of a felony and subject to imprisonment for not less than three (3) years nor more than fifteen (15) years.
A person convicted of Possession of a Firearm after a previous conviction of a Crime of Violence, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) nor more than ten (10) years; and for penalties provided in this section he or she shall not be afforded the benefit of suspension or deferment of sentence nor of probation.