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Friday, March 29, 2024

John Loder’s guns were fake, but his drugs were real and so was the machete found in his apartment, police said Monday.

Loder, 32, was arrested Friday after officers in the Cambridge Police Department Special Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at 14 Corcoran Lane in Cambridge. They found seven bags of cocaine and one each of heroin and marijuana, a digital scale and drug packaging material, cash totaling $828, a replica 9mm handgun and replica M4 rifle and that machete, police communications specialist Daniel Riviello said.

Replica guns typically look and feel like real weapons, and often even include a firing mechanism, but they do not fire bullets. Some can shoot blanks. Websites that sell them explain that “No federal license is required to buy, sell or possess” replica weapons.

Loder was charged with several offenses, including two counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs as well as a school zone violation. An attempt to reach Loder by telephone Monday failed.

In addition to information cultivated during a five-month investigation related to cocaine and heroin sales in Central Square and the Corcoran Park neighborhood, detectives relied heavily on tips from the community in this case, said Sgt. Robert W. Grey, of the Special Investigations Unit.

People are encouraged to call the drug tip hot line at (617) 349-3359.  This 24-hour, anonymous and confidential line is extremely valuable in helping clean up Cambridge streets, Grey said.

This post includes information from a press release.