BOSTON (WWLP) – A man was arrested and charged in Boston on Friday in connection with possessing numerous privately made firearms, or “ghost guns.”
Charging documents allege that since 2022, 38-year-old Robert Butland of Somerville has been purchasing firearm parts and accessories, as well as 3D printers.
Butland is prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior state convictions, in which he was charged in Lawrence District Court for assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and wanton destruction of property. He also has prior state charges for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a Class B controlled substance, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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Law enforcement searched Butland’s residence on Friday, during which time they forcibly opened a locked closet that held suspected ghost guns. Inside the closet, police also reportedly found multiple solvent traps commonly used as illegal firearm suppressors.
The charging documents further state that police found additional ghost guns in nightstands, backpacks, and coffee table drawers in Butland’s bedroom. They also reportedly recovered firearm parts and accessories, 3D printers, and a workbench and tools believed to be associated with the assembly and manufacture of firearms…