BOSTON – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant possessed more than 100 privately made firearms, more commonly known as, “ghost guns,” at his residence – including machine guns and firearm silencers, as well as a 3D printer and ammunition in varying calibers.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 39-year-old Robert Butland of Somerville pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2026. Butland was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2025 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. The defendant remains in federal custody.
During an August 2025 search of Butland’s residence, a locked closet inside his bedroom was found to contain numerous PMFs as well as numerous solvent traps commonly used as illegal firearm suppressors. Additional ghost guns were found in nightstands, backpacks and coffee table drawers throughout the bedroom. Multiple 3D printers, firearm parts and accessories purchased from companies across the country, filament, a workbench and tools consistent with the assembly and manufacture of firearms were also recovered from the residence. Ammunition in multiple calibers – including 9mm Luger, 5.56 Hornady Frontier and 7.62x39mm rounds – were also seized…