BOSTON, March 13, 2014—A Dorchester man was arraigned yesterday on his second gun offense and marijuana charges after a housekeeper found a loaded gun and more than a quarter pound of marijuana in his hotel room, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

REGINALD WEAKS (D.O.B. 3/3/81) of Dorchester was arraigned yesterday in South Boston District Court on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm as a subsequent offense, unlawful possession of ammunition, improper storage of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance.  Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Burke requested that bail be set in the amount of $200,000.  Judge Jonathan Tynes imposed $50,000 bail and ordered Weaks to wear a GPS monitoring device, abide by a curfew, and stay away from the location of the incident in the event he is released on bail.

Burke noted for the record that Weaks had previously served two years behind bars for a 2009 gun conviction in Suffolk Superior Court and has prior conviction of possessing Class B and Class D substances with intent to distribute.

According to prosecutors, shortly before 3:00 p.m. March 4 Boston Police were called to the Holiday Inn Express on Boston Street, where a housekeeper instructed to clean Weaks’ room Weaks discovered a backpack. The housekeeper had been told that he had checked out and that the room was unoccupied; in fact, records later showed, Weaks had extended his stay another night.

The housekeeper looked inside the bag for identification before bringing the bag to the lost and found desk and spotted the handgun.  She immediately contacted her supervisor, who in turn summoned Boston police. The housekeeper also found a nugget of marijuana in one of the room’s dresser drawers.

The firearm, a Raven Arms MP-25 semiautomatic handgun, was loaded with four live rounds of ammunition and had no safety or locking mechanism.  Also inside were four large plastic bags of marijuana and a small nugget of marijuana, totaling 4.8 ounces, prosecutors said.  Police took custody of the items, and hotel staff disabled Weaks’ access to the hotel room.

Upon Weaks’ return to the hotel later that day, he was informed by hotel staff that his items were in the possession of Boston Police and that officers were on their way to the hotel.  Prosecutors say he left at that time.  Police on Tuesday located Weaks in Dorchester and placed him under arrest.

Weaks was represented for bail purposes by Gary McGillivray and will be represented by Robert Menton at future court dates.  He will return to court March 31.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.