A Moroccan national residing in Medford has been charged for unlawfully possessing ammunition as an illegal alien.
Ayoud Haddad, 24, was charged with one count of unlawful or illegal alien in possession of ammunition. Haddad was arrested yesterday and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for March 17, 2025, in federal court in Worcester.
According to the charging documents, Haddad, a Moroccan national, is an alien admitted into the United States on or about April 12, 2012, on a B-2 non-immigrant visa. His parent obtained Haddad’s visa on his behalf as he was a minor at the time.
His visa expired on October 12, 2012.
In the afternoon of June 6, 2024, law enforcement responded to several calls reporting shots fired outside a multi-floor apartment complex in Lawrence.
Surveillance footage identified one of the vehicles believed to be allegedly involved in the shooting – a white BMW leased to Haddad.
Surveillance footage also allegedly identified Haddad as the driver of the vehicle. When stopped by law enforcement on June 8, 2024, Haddad was driving the BMW, which authorities had towed.
A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a rifle with no serial number and 20 pieces of live .223 Remington Bronze full metal jacket rifle rounds under the hood.
In 2019, Haddad was arrested and charged by the state with carrying a firearm without a licence, receiving a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, conspiracy to violate the drug laws, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
It is alleged that, in or about March 2019, Haddad was encountered by federal immigration authorities while being held at a correctional facility on these charges because his B-2 visitor visa had expired.
According to the charging documents, the firearms charges were dismissed on June 10, 2019, and the remaining charges were dismissed by nolle prosequi on September 4, 2020, after a period of “general continuance.”
The charge of unlawful or illegal alien in possession of ammunition provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon competition of any sentence imposed.
