Ghost gun possession leads to arrest of convicted felon
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Friday, May 10, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) announced that detectives with the Strategic Investigations Unit (SIU), along with other members of CSPD, arrested a suspect for illegal possession of firearms, including of a Privately Manufactured Firearm (PMF) or “ghost gun”.
In January, detectives with the SIU began an investigation into 20-year-old Maurice Reid, a known prolific offender, for various crimes involving firearms. According to the detectives, Reid was a member of a local criminal network and a convicted felon for crimes that made it illegal for him to possess firearms. He also had a protection order out against him that prohibited him from possessing firearms.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that he had several warrants out for his arrest and possibly had at least one handgun. They conducted surveillance on Reid and found his place of work near Academy Boulevard and Chelton Road.
After CSPD units took Reid into custody, they found that he had a PMF handgun. CSPD said these “ghost guns” have gained popularity because they do not contain serial numbers and are created with a home-build kit.
The handgun found with Reid was loaded with a 30-round magazine containing 30 bullets and a Glock Switch–a small device attached to the rear of the slide, converting the semi-automatic pistol into a machine pistol capable of fully automatic fire.
CSPD also found approximately 14 grams of cocaine and items that indicated that he intended to distribute the narcotics.
Reid was booked into the Criminal Justice Center for his warrants and charges, including Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender and numerous firearm and narcotic-related charges.
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