Maryland Man Arrested with Guns, Ammo Near Casino

Anne Arundel County authorities have arrested a 56-year-old Upper Marlboro man after discovering a vehicle packed with firearms, ammunition, and body armor near Arundel Mills. The mall is the most popular retail shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in Maryland, hosting the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland with 4,000 slot machines and 200 live tables. 

Disturbing Discovery Inside the Suspect’s SUV  

Police arrived at Arundel Mills Circle in Hanover at around 8:45 p.m. following a report of a suspicious SUV parked there. The blue 2016 Ford Explorer was unoccupied when officers arrived.

“We observed a semi-automatic rifle in plain view in the open trunk,” an Anne Arundel County Police spokesperson said.

Investigators quickly identified the owner and driver as R.M. and proceeded to do a more thorough search of his vehicle. 

The procedure yielded a troubling arsenal that included an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 semi-automatic rifle, two loaded 9mm handguns (Ruger, SCCY Industries CPX-1), both stolen, along with 90 total rounds of 12-gauge and 9 mm ammunition, a plastic bag with Luger 9 mm rounds of ammunition, two sets of body armor, REM .223 rounds of ammunition and four black magazines that were fully loaded with REM .223 rounds of ammunition.

Police confirmed that M. did not have the legal right to possess firearms and, accordingly, placed him under arrest with corresponding charges. 

Maryland’s Ghost Guns’ Problem 

The arrest is only the latest in a disturbingly long string of gun-related cases in Maryland, reiterating the growing concern over illegal firearms and “ghost guns.” A prominent example dates back from last November, when authorities in St. Mary’s County arrested 39-year-old J.T. for reportedly manufacturing untraceable firearms.

Deputies made the discovery after responding to a reported domestic assault at a home in Lexington Park. The suspect fled before police arrived, but searches of his property and nearby vehicles revealed an extensive collection of weapons and components. 

Among others, investigators came across 3D-printed firearms, handguns, shotguns, an AK-47, firearm suppressors, and more than 1,300 rounds of ammunition.

Officials also seized 74 auto sears, which are special devices that can convert semi-automatic guns into fully automatic weapons, along with a 3D-printed automatic rifle.

T. faces multiple charges, including illegal possession of ammunition and an assault weapon with intent to sell, and second-degree assault, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

Anne Arundel County Police have not officially connected M.’s arrest to their other ongoing investigations.