Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 265, § 18C (2026)

Entry of dwelling place; persons present within; weapons; punishment

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 18C. Whoever knowingly enters the dwelling place of another knowing or having reason to know that one or more persons are present within or knowingly enters the dwelling place of another and remains in such dwelling place knowing or having reason to know that one or more persons are present within while armed with a dangerous weapon, uses force or threatens the imminent use of force upon any person within such dwelling place whether or not injury occurs, or intentionally causes any injury to any person within such dwelling place shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of not less than twenty years.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 113 cases (24 in the last 5 years), 1994–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Dunn, 680 N.E.2d 1178 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997).

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Commonwealth v. Dunn, 680 N.E.2d 1178 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997). · cites it 10× “The defendant was convicted by a Superior Court jury of the crime of home invasion, G. L. c. 265, § 18C, and received a sentence of from twenty-four to thirty years in State prison.”

Commonwealth v. Doucette, 720 N.E.2d 806 (Mass. 1999). · cites it 8× “A jury found the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree on a theory of felony-murder (with armed home *462 invasion under G. L. c. 265, § 18C, as the underlying felony).”

Commonwealth v. Bois, 62 N.E.3d 513 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 3× “The defendant was convicted also of nine other charges, including home invasion while armed with a dangerous weapon, G. L. c. 265, § 18C. 2 At trial, the defendant conceded that he had killed the victim, but argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity.”

Commonwealth v. Brown, 81 N.E.3d 1173 (Mass. 2017). · cites it 2× “15, 29 (2016), quoting G. L. c. 265, § 18C. 13 Commonwealth is not required to prove that a defendant was physically present at the scene of the offense.”

Commonwealth v. Mattei, 920 N.E.2d 845 (Mass. 2010). · cites it 3× “461, 465-466 (1999), quoting G. L. c. 265, § 18C (listing elements of home invasion, including “while armed with a dangerous weapon”); Commonwealth v.”

United States v. Barbosa, 896 F.3d 60 (1st Cir. 2018). · cites it 2× “See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 265, § 18C. That afternoon, the police executed the arrest warrant at the public library and took the defendant into custody.”

Commonwealth v. Berte, 781 N.E.2d 14 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 7× “The defendant, Richard Chris Berte, was indicted for home invasion committed with a firearm (G. L. c. 265, § 18C), armed robbery (G. L.”

Commonwealth v. Antonmarchi, 874 N.E.2d 665 (Mass. App. Ct. 2007). · cites it 8× “Convicted by a Superior Court jury of two charges of home invasion, G. L. c. 265, § 18C, and other crimes related to that invasion, the defendant appeals, claiming that one of the two home invasion convictions was duplicative and should be vacated.”

Commonwealth v. Mahar, 722 N.E.2d 461 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 5× “on March 3, 1997, at the house at 528 Metropolitan Avenue in the Hyde Park section of Boston, a jury in the Superior Court convicted the defendant of armed home invasion, G. L. c. 265, § 18C; armed assault with intent to rob, G.”

Commonwealth v. Stokes, 951 N.E.2d 48 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 4× “4 In it he argued for the first time that the judge erred in failing to give an instruction on felony-murder in the second degree with armed home invasion, G. L. c. 265, § 18C, as amended by St. 1998, c.”

Commonwealth v. Bell, 951 N.E.2d 35 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 3× “266, § 1; (3) armed home invasion, G. L. c. 265, § 18C; (4)-(5) two charges of assault by means of a dangerous weapon, a knife, against Julie Ann Nieves and Tiffany Cruz, respectively, G.”

Commonwealth v. Stokes, 802 N.E.2d 88 (Mass. 2004). · cites it 2× “” G. L. c. 265, § 18C. The defendant moved for a required finding on this indictment at the close of the Commonwealth’s case.”

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