A major weapons seizure in the Lower Hudson Valley has taken nearly two dozen untraceable firearms out of circulation, authorities said, and led to an arrest. Investigators recovered 22 ghost guns in Westchester as part of an operation that officials described as a significant haul for the region.
According to the district attorney's office, the cache was not limited to ordinary handguns. Officials said two of the 22 firearms were assault-style rifles, raising the stakes of a seizure that already stood out for the sheer number of weapons involved.
The guns were not the only items recovered. Authorities said three other weapons, along with bullets and a quantity of cocaine, were also seized in the course of the operation, pointing to a broader mix of contraband tied to the case.
The investigation led to an arrest. Prosecutors said 49-year-old Michael Larius of Greenwich was taken into custody and charged with multiple counts in connection with the case, as authorities worked to account for the weapons and other items they had recovered.
The operation was not the work of a single agency. According to authorities, the sting that led to the seizure also involved the Putnam County Sheriff and federal agencies, a coordinated effort that reached across multiple jurisdictions in the region.
Ghost guns, which are typically assembled from parts and lack serial numbers, have become a growing concern for law enforcement precisely because they are so difficult to trace. The recovery of 22 of them in a single case underscored why authorities have made cracking down on the untraceable weapons a priority.