SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Virginia man is in custody after allegedly trafficking guns through Springfield.

Springfield Police spokesperson Ryan Walsh said that detectives with the department’s firearms investigation unit had been working with ATF agents over the past several weeks on an investigation related to 32-year-old Ananias Davidson of Lynchburg, VA. Authorities allege that Davidson was “transporting firearms across state lines as part of an illegal firearms distribution operation” and would acquire guns, load them into luggage, and load that luggage onto a bus. He would then ride a bus to Massachusetts and would connect with the prospective customers to buy the guns.

On Monday, around 11:15 a.m., a bus on which Davidson was riding arrived at Union Station from North Carolina. A State Police K-9 checked for any possible guns and alerted authorities to a backpack stowed under the bus. Passengers then got off the bus and retrieved their luggage, except Davidson, who remained in the area and reportedly watched what was occurring. “The backpack was the lone piece of luggage that was not retrieved,” Walsh explained, noting that a search of the backpack led to the discovery of two large capacity guns and an unloaded gun.

Davidson was placed under arrest and allegedly broke a doorknob a holding area and kicked and broke a bench away from a wall while being booked at Springfield Police headquarters. Walsh added that Davidson also had three outstanding, non-extraditable warrants for incidents that occurred in California, Virginia, and North Carolina at the time of his arrest and he had been previously convicted of a felony in California.

Davidson is facing charges including three counts of carrying a firearm without a license, two counts of carrying a loaded large capacity firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card (subsequent offense), two counts of improper storage of a large capacity firearm, improper storage of a firearm, three counts of convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of malicious destruction of property over $1,200.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.