Authorities in Maryland are searching for a man facing several weapons charges after a colorful arsenal of firearms, including illegal “ghost guns,” was found in his home.
Police were responding to reports of a domestic assault at a home in Lexington Park, around 60 miles southeast of Washington, DC, Thursday night before uncovering an “extensive collection” of weapons, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday.
Ghost guns are kits that a user can purchase online to assemble a fully functional firearm at home using individual parts or parts made with 3D printers and plastic resins. They are often untraceable, and authorities say they are turning up at crime scenes with greater frequency.
The suspect, who police have identified as Jerod Adam Taylor, fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, the sheriff’s office said.
Multiple firearms were found “in plain view” within the residence, despite Taylor, 39, being legally prohibited from owning firearms due to prior convictions and an outstanding arrest warrant for theft, the statement said.
A later search found multiple 3D-printed “ghost guns” without serial numbers, semi-automatic rifles, handguns and shotguns. In total, 80 firearms were recovered, including a 3D-printed, fully automatic rifle, police said.
Numerous large-capacity magazines, over 1,300 rounds of ammunition, body armor and 3D printers were also among the items seized, it added.
The suspect faces charges of illegal possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of an assault weapon with intent to sell, second-degree assault and several other related charges, authorities said.
The use of ghost guns is on the rise across the country with the Biden administration telling the Supreme Court that police departments have faced an “explosion of crimes involving ghost guns” in recent years. In 2017, police submitted about 1,600 ghost guns recovered at crime scenes for tracing. Four years later, the number had grown to more than 19,000.
The Biden administration has tightened regulation on ghost guns as part of a series of actions related to gun safety. In 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives required ghost gun manufacturers to include serial numbers on kits and perform background checks on people who purchase them.
However, advocacy groups and several companies manufacturing the kits have sought to challenge the ruling, arguing in the Supreme Court that the regulation wasn’t permitted by law. The kits aren’t weapons, they say, but rather parts.
Last month, during oral arguments, the Supreme Court signaled a willingness to uphold the Biden administration regulation. A decision in the case, Garland v. VanDerStok, is expected by next summer.
