BOSTON, March 22, 2016—In a case made possible by civilian witnesses who tipped off Transit Police, a North Attleboro man was held on high bail for allegedly carrying a loaded gun in a crowded train station following Sunday’s parade, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

NICHOLA COSSETTE (D.O.B. 2/5/91) was arraigned yesterday in the Suffolk County Gun Court on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm.  At the request of Assistant District Attorney Amanda Cascione, chief of the DA’s Gun Prosecution Task Force, Judge Sally Kelly set bail in the amount of $25,000.

According to prosecutors, Cossette was on board an MBTA shuttle bus traveling from the area of Summer and East First streets to South Station shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, allegedly attempting to sell drugs to fellow passengers.  As Cossette and others onboard attempted to move away from a visibly ill passenger, witnesses observed a firearm fall out of the waist of Cossette’s pants, prosecutors said.  After the shuttle arrived at South Station, the witnesses approached Transit Police officers who were responding an unrelated report of a fight on the Red Line platform in the area where Cossette was last seen.

Based on the description provided by witnesses, officers stopped Cossette on the platform and located a firearm in his pants pocket, prosecutors said.  The gun was found to be loaded with one round in the chamber and three in the magazine.

“We hear it every day – if you see something, say something,” Conley said. “These passengers did just that, and they helped take an illegal firearm off the streets of Boston.”

Despite Cossette’s alleged pitch for drug sales, no drugs were recovered from his person. He was represented by Ilse Nehring and returns to court April 5.

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