NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A Niagara Falls man is facing several charges for allegedly having multiple ghost guns.
Joshua M. McClelland, 42 is charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th (ghost gun), Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of an Assault Weapon 3rd, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd (silencer), Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd (large capacity ammunition feeding device) and Unlawful Purchase of Body Armor.
State Police investigators say Town of Niagara Police were called to a suspicious property complaint Wednesday at the Expressway Village.
During their investigation, officers say they found multiple weapons. State Police were contacted to assist. Investigators say they found four rifles with no serial numbers, two handguns with no serial numbers, body armor, a high-capacity ammunition magazine and a firearm silencer.
"At the call they were at, they discovered all this hardware," NYSP Trooper James O'Callaghan said. "We're talking four rifles, two pistols, no serial numbers on anything, a silencer, body armor, high capacity magazines."
New York State made ghost guns illegal in 2022. A silencer, body armor, and high-capacity magazine are also illegal in the state.
State Police right now don't know why McClelland had the arsenal of illegal weapons and accessories.
"We look into [the] history of the person and what's going on with these weapons," O'Callaghan said. "He was very cooperative to a point, but once we got to that certain point, it was a matter of, 'OK, what is going on with all these things?' "
O'Callaghan credits the cooperation with Town of Niagara Police for the swift investigation.
"When you have that kind of overlapping, or a spider web, if you will, that's when a lot of things get solved," he said.
Even though ghost guns are illegal in New York, other states have lenient regulations on them, causing concerns over smuggling into the state.
"Is it part of a bigger plan? We don't know," O'Callaghan said. "But the fact of the matter is, we just got six guns [not serialized] off the streets with body armor, and a suppressor. It's a good day in law enforcement."
McClelland was taken to the Niagara County Jail and arraigned Wednesday night, and he made bail Thursday afternoon. He is due in court on June 10.