Darlene Tacinelli facing 7 firearms charges

04/07/2007

By: Francine Maglione , Herald Staff

PLAINVILLE - The wife of a volunteer firefighter who is facing weapons charges was arrested Thursday after police suspected that she had purchased several firearms and gave them to her husband - a convicted felon.
Darlene Tacinelli, 47, of 182 Farmington Ave., turned herself into Plainville police and now faces charges of seven counts of purchasing firearms with the intent to transfer to a prohibited person.
She is the wife of 49-year-old Michael Tacinelli Sr., who turned himself in on March 19 after police found 15 weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and what appeared to be two explosive devices at the couple's Farmington Avenue home.
"We suspect that she used her Connecticut pistol permit to purchase several firearms that ended up in Michael Tacinelli's control," said Plainville Police Lt. Brian Mullins. "There's no exceptions for a husband and wife."
Michael Tacinelli has faced past charges of robbery, sexual assault against a minor and tampering with a witness, police said.
After Wallingford police arrested Michael Tacinelli while he was firing pistols at a shooting range despite being a convicted felon, Plainville police obtained a search warrant and searched the couple's home on Feb. 9.
Along with the ammunition and weapons, officers found a suit of body armor and what appeared to be two explosive devices in safes, police said.
While attempting to open one of the safes, an alarm sounded, prompting police to quickly evacuate the house until the State Police Bomb Squad was able to determine that the devices were not explosive.
Plainville police arrested him on charges of 15 counts of criminal use of a firearm by a convicted felon, three counts of altering of firearm identification marks, two counts of first-degree breach of peace, criminal possession of body armor and sixth-degree larceny.
Police determined that seven of the weapons they found were registered to Darlene Tacinelli. The firearms varied and consisted of handguns and rifles and were believed to have been purchased over the course of several years, police said.
Police said they were unable to determine the registration of many of the other weapons because the serial numbers had been altered.
Mullins described Michael Tacinelli as an "aficionado" of weaponry who liked collecting firearms, which would have been legal had he not been a convicted felon.
"When we investigate a case we take this sort of thing seriously," he said.
Mullins added that barring any new information pertinent to the case, this case could be considered to be closed for now and no other arrests were planned.
Darlene Tacinelli was released on a court-ordered $50,000 bond. She is due to appear in Bristol Superior Court for arraignment on April 16.
Francine Maglione can be reached at fmaglione@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601 Ext. 223.