CHICOPEE – Police arrested three Vermont residents on gun and drug charges after stopping their vehicle for motor vehicle violations.

James Bradley, 42, of Groton, and Colleen Rodriguez, 30 and Monique Lapoint, 26, of St. Johnsbury, were all charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition without a license and improper storage of a firearm, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

Bradley and Rodriguez were also charged with possession of a Class B drug and Lapoint was also charged with possession of a Class D drug, he said.

Officer Chris Kuenzel initially spotted the three sitting in a vehicle at the Wendy’s, on Memorial Drive, at about 6 a.m., Sunday. Since the business was closed, he stopped and they explained they were meeting a friend at Planet Fitness but couldn’t find the business, Wilk said.

He gave them directions, but after they left Kuenzel did a routine license plate check and found the plate was registered to a different vehicle. He then followed the car and stopped them again on Memorial Drive and asked about the plates. Bradley, who was sitting in the back seat, said he owned the car and attached the plates because the others had been confiscated, he said.

Two other officers arrived to assist and felt the three were appearing to hide things in the car. Officers asked the three to step out of the vehicle and found drug paraphernalia on some when they frisked them, he said.

During a search of the car they found an unlawful handgun locked in the glove box. Police also found rocks of what is believed to be crack cocaine or cocaine inside a cigarette pack and wax packets of drugs labeled “Avengers.” They also found a jar of what is believed to be marijuana, Wilk said.

The three were held on $2,540 bail until their arraignment the next day.