A Massachusetts man is facing nearly 100 charges after police seized a massive cache of 47 guns, 44 homemade silencers and 35,000 rounds of ammunition from his home this week.
Jeffrey Dusti, 62, of Shirley, was arraigned Thursday on 47 counts of possession of a firearm without an FID card, 44 counts of possession of a silencer and one count of possession of a sawed-off shotgun. He was ordered held without bail.
He is also facing charges of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
The large-scale seizure took place after a search warrant was executed by the state police gang unit on Tuesday, the Middlesex district attorney's office said.
"The sheer number of weapons is striking," District Attorney Marian Ryan said at a press conference announcing Dusti's arrest. "As we look at the recent events across our country, now more than ever, we have to be mindful of the risks of the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, as well as homemade modifications such as these silencers that make these weapons even more deadly and dangerous than in their natural state."
She said the reason Dusti had stockpiled so many weapons is unknown. She would not say if he is believed to be affiliated with a gang.
Ryan said the state police gang unit executed the search warrant at Dusti's home on Great Road in Shirley around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, they met Dusti on Route 2A out near his home.
He was arrested on an outstanding warrant for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon out of Ayer District Court. He was carrying a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver, which he was not licensed to carry, in his jacket pocket at the time.
A subsequent search of his home revealed a massive stockpile of weapons, including an AR-15 and a sawed-off shotgun. There was also evidence that Dusti had been manufacturing firearms in his home.
"It's an enormous amount of firepower in a neighborhood where one would assume the neighbors were unaware," Ryan said.
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"I'm just glad everyone's safe," said Shirley resident Michelle Sparrow. "And that they found this person before anything bad could happen."
"He might have been a crazy collector," said Rob McGeary, another Shirley resident. "All that gunpowder sitting there is a hazard."
Eleven other firearms were found in the home, licensed to Dusti's wife. She has not been charged, but Ryan said her license to carry firearms has been revoked.
"It went flawlessly," Shirley Police Chief Samuel Santiago said of the seizure. "I'm glad these weapons were taken off the street."
Ryan said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be forthcoming.
