A Somers Point man was charged Wednesday with possessing unregistered machine guns and other firearms, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Michael John James, 30, was charged with one count of possessing unregistered machine guns and other firearms. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Customs and Border Protection personnel intercepted two packages in February that contained suspected controlled substances and were addressed to James’ residence.
On Feb. 27, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the packages and observed James bringing them into his home. They executed a search warrant at the residence, where they recovered dozens of firearms and ballistics items, according to a news release.
Among the recovered items were three operable machine guns, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard rifle, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard shotgun, and three silencers.
The possession of an unregistered machine gun or other firearm, as defined under the National Firearms Act, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti, for the investigation.
He also credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; personnel from the Atlantic City Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; and officers of the Somers Point Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert C. Somers, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
