CENTERVILLE – Barnstable Police report that during the month of January 2017, the Quincy Police arrested an intoxicated male involved in a shooting. A firearm was recovered and further investigation revealed that the firearm was purchased and registered to 51-year-old Jo Ann Baker of Centerville, MA (upper right).
Jo Ann Baker
Det. Sgt. Butler initiated an investigation into the firearm used in the shooting. Upon questioning, Baker informed Sgt. Butler that she owned several firearms, including the one used in the Quincy shooting; however she was unaware of the location of the firearms at this time. It was determined that Jo Ann Baker has 10 firearms registered to her and her husband currently has 6. All of Bakers firearms were purchased from various locations on and off Cape Cod within the past two years, mostly during the summer and fall of 2015.
Last Tuesday, members of the Barnstable Police Detective division served Baker a suspension order for her license to carry a firearm and requested that she turn over all of her registered firearms. Baker informed detectives that she had given some of her firearms to a friend that morning so he could bring them to the firing range. When detectives interviewed that friend, who has an active firearms license, he told them Baker had just left him a voicemail to call her back because of an emergency and later called to inform him that 46-year-old Mark Griswold of Hyannis (lower right) would be dropping her guns at his house. Baker also informed the friend to tell the police that he had taken the guns to the shooting range on that date.
Mark Griswold
The friend informed Det. Sgt. Butler that he was uncomfortable lying to the police and that the whole incident seemed extremely suspicious, so he called the Barnstable Police. The friend then showed police a black backpack and black duffel bag in his foyer that Mark Griswold had just placed inside his home. The duffel bag contained an AR-15 assault rifle with a 30 round large capacity magazine, a second semi-automatic rifle and the black backpack contained 3 handguns. In addition to the guns, dozens of rounds of ammunition of various calibers and other feeding devices were also seized.
Later that same day, Jo Ann Baker voluntarily agreed to be interviewed at the police station. After initially making improbable and inconsistent statements to Det. Sgt. Butler, Baker admitted to giving Griswold several firearms even though she knew he was a convicted felon and could not legally possess any type of guns. She further informed investigators that she withheld that information because she did not want Griswold to get into trouble.
Jo Ann Baker was arraigned in Barnstable District Court Monday. Baker was charged with Trafficking 3 or more, but less than 10 Firearms, Improper Storage of a Firearm and Impeding/Obstructing a Police Investigation. Her bail was set at $500 and she was instructed not to have any contact with Griswold.
Mark Griswold was charged with Unlawful Possession of an Assault Weapon, Trafficking 3 or more, but less than 10 Firearms, Unlawful Possession or Transfer of a Firearm (Rifle), Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and Improper Storage of a Firearm. Griswold was arraigned in Barnstable District Court last Wednesday and was held on $7,500 bail and was ordered to wear a GPS bracelet if he was bailed.
Media release and photos furnished by Barnstable Police
