Dorchester woman charged with possession of machine gun stolen in Worcester armory heist

Photo allegedly from Bigsbee's phone, showing a machine gun

FBI says this photo came from Bigsbee's phone and shows weapons in her home.

Ashley Bigsbee, 26, was charged with possession of one of the machine guns stolen from a Worcester armory last month after investigators found photos on her phone of the weapon in her Page Street home - and after the man charged with the burglary implicated her - according to federal officials.

Bigsbee was arrested Friday on charges of unlawful possession of a machine gun and making false statements, the US Attorney's office in Boston reports.

James Walker Morales is charged with breaking into the armory Nov. 14 and stealing 16 weapons. All of the machine guns have been recovered; the FBI today offered a reward for the return of six handguns.

An affidavit by an FBI agent on the case says Bigsbee met with Morales the day after the burglary to arrange the sale of five guns to two other men.

Officials seized Bigsbee's phone on Nov. 20 when she was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant on state charges.

"At the time of her arrest on the state warrant, agents recovered her cell phone," the US Attorney's office says. "A subsequent search of the phone pursuant to a search warrant revealed numerous photographs, including a photograph of Bigsbee with a distinctive hand tattoo, a photograph of what appears to be a stolen Sig Sauer handgun and an M-4 assault rifle. Prior to her arrest on Nov. 20, Bigsbee voluntarily spoke with FBI agents and denied knowing anything about a robbery of the armory and the guns Morales was allegedly trying to sell. She denied any knowledge of the stolen weapons.

"According to the affidavit, further investigation revealed that the photographs were taken at 27 Page Street in Dorchester. A search warrant was executed at this location on Nov. 20 where agents observed distinctive items seen in the photographs. However, no weapons were recovered from this location."

The US Attorney's office reports the last of the machine guns was recovered in Dorchester on Friday, but did not say where.

Bigsbee will remain in federal custody at least until a detention hearing on Thursday, the US Attorney's office says.

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