MEDFORD — Another dangerous illegal has been busted — this time with an untraceable AR-15–style rifle and 20 rounds of .223 ammo — a case critics say proves Maura Healey’s sanctuary policies and strict gun laws don’t stop criminals, they protect them.

Federal prosecutors say 24-year-old Ayoub Haddad, a Moroccan national unlawfully living in Medford, was indicted for being an illegal alien in possession of ammunition. Agents allegedly found the rifle, stripped of a serial number, wrapped in a t-shirt and stashed between the radiator and engine block, with the ammo hidden under the hood.

Haddad’s visa expired in 2012. Since then, court records show, he’s been arrested for firearms, drugs, and motor vehicle charges — all dismissed after a “general continuance.” In June 2024, police say he was the driver in a Lawrence shooting before the gun and ammo were discovered.

Under federal law, Haddad faces up to 10 years in prison and deportation after his sentence. But critics say the real scandal is that he was still in Massachusetts at all — shielded by sanctuary policies while Healey’s strict gun laws focused on making it harder for citizens to defend themselves.