Lynn pair each held on $50G for weapons charges

LYNN – A judge ordered two city men held on $50,000 cash bail each after police investigating a shooting on Rantoul Avenue pulled the men over for running a red light and found illegal loaded guns in their car.Both men denied being involved in the shooting, and have not been charged with firing any weapons.George Kelly, 32, of 21 High Rock St. #4, and Claudio Melo, 22, of 23 Rockmere Garden #5, were arrested and each charged with three counts of carrying an unlicensed loaded firearm; three counts of carrying an unlicensed firearm; and two counts of carrying a firearm with a defaced serial number; at 2:51 a.m. Friday.Each pleaded not guilty to the charges at their arraignments later that day in Lynn District Court.Police were investigating a shooting on Rantoul Avenue in the Highlands where somebody shot seven shots into a home at approximately 2 a.m. Friday, according to a report by Lynn Police Officer Paul Holey. Three 40-caliber shell casings were found on the street in front of the home, police reported.About forty minutes later, police saw a Mercedes take a right from Adams onto Chestnut streets without stopping at a red light, Holey reported. As officers approached the vehicle, police noted two guns in plain view on the floor behind the passenger seat of the vehicle. Police reportedly found Kelly was the driver, who police knew was a known felon who could not have a firearm license, and Melo was the passenger. Both of the guns – a .40 caliber and .22 caliber – were loaded and the latter had a defaced serial number, police reported.Police found a third loaded .45-caliber gun on the floor behind the driver’s seat, according to court documents. This gun also had its serial number defaced, police said.Essex Assistant District Attorney Mark Byron requested each defendant be held on $100,000 cash bail, noting each had served committed time and had multi-page records, according to court documents.Both defendants denied being involved in the earlier shooting, and said they had no connection to the car they were driving, according to court documents.Judge Cathleen Campbell ordered each defendant held on $50,000 cash bail, and scheduled each to return to court Jan. 9.