Massachusetts man charged with strangling girlfriend, possessing illegal rifles, and more than 60 large capacity magazines

Published on Tuesday, January 16, 2024

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Massachusetts man has been charged in Providence County Superior Court with 68 counts of firearms and domestic violence-related offenses following his arrest by the Johnston Police on May 5, 2023.

On December 4, 2023, the Office of the Attorney General charged Yaran Drawbridge of Holden, Mass. (age 42, P2-2023-3884AG), by way of criminal information, with 62 counts of possession of a large capacity magazine, three counts of possession of a sawed-off rifle, one count of domestic assault by strangulation, one count of simple domestic assault, and one count of domestic disorderly conduct.

As alleged in the criminal information, on May 4, 2023, Johnston Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance on Juniper Lane. It is alleged that officers encountered the victim waiting at a neighbor’s house, where she told police she escaped a domestic assault by her boyfriend, the defendant. It is further alleged that the defendant physically assaulted her and put her in a chokehold, before the victim was able to escape through a bathroom window.

As alleged in the criminal information, when she met the responding officers, she told officers that she believed that the defendant was still in the residence and in possession of multiple firearms.

As alleged, officers responded to the residence and entered the home through a rear door. While searching for the defendant, officers observed various types of large capacity magazines and other gun paraphernalia in the basement of the home. Ultimately, they were unable to locate the defendant, at which time the victim told police that the defendant owned another home in Holden, Mass.

As further alleged, investigators sought a warrant for the defendant’s arrest and alerted Holden Police of the matter. On May 5, 2023, the defendant turned himself in to Johnston Police Headquarters. Investigators subsequently executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Johnston residence in which they seized three altered rifles, with shortened barrels, and 62 large capacity magazines, including 30-round .223 caliber, 30-round 7.62mm, and 31-round 9mm magazines.

The defendant is scheduled for a pre-arraignment conference on February 7, 2024, in Providence County Superior Court.

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