MSP: Wrentham man arrested after illegally owned firearms seized in home

WRENTHAM, Mass. — Massachusetts State Police arrested a Wrentham man on multiple weapons charges after seizing a large number of weapons from his home as the result of an executed search warrant on Friday, according to the law enforcement agency.

Officials brought Michael R. Roby, 38, into custody after allegedly finding the following* illegally owned weapons from his home:

• Two AR-15 style rifles, stored in an unsecured manner in a bedroom, one of which was loaded with a high-capacity magazine;
• Three additional AR-15 style rifles located in a safe in a bedroom;
• A Glock pistol, stored unsecured in a bedroom nightstand and loaded with a high-capacity magazine;
• An additional high-capacity 9mm magazine located in the nightstand;
• 19 high-capacity rifle magazines;
• Assorted ammunition;
• Two firearms silencers;
• Two Glock selector switches, which police consider illegal bump stocks;
• Five homemade destructive devices; and
• Commercial grade fireworks, which, police say, could be used in the creation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

According to police, none of the weapons listed had serial numbers; officials believe that Roby was assembling them in his home after purchasing different parts of the weapon(s). The suspect does not and has never had a license to carry a firearm, State Police say.

Related: Chelsea foster parent accused of raping children in his care

Wrentham Police assisted Mass. State Police in arresting Roby, who was charged with the following* crimes:

• Possession of a Machine Gun (multiple counts);
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (multiple counts);
• Possession of a Large Capacity Weapon or Feeding Device (multiple counts);
• Unlawful Possession of Ammunition;
• Using or Possessing a Silencer (multiple counts);
• Production, Possession, Transportation or Use of Explosives or a Destructive Device (multiple counts); and
• Unlawful Possession of Fireworks.

Roby is currently being held on $50,000 bail and was arraigned on Friday afternoon in Wrentham District Court. If convicted of the most serious charges, Roby could face life in prison.

Boston 25 News tried to reach Roby's wife for comment following the arrest; however, she offered no comment when asked about the incident by our reporter.

Neighbors are glad that Roby was caught, but want to know what he was up to.

"It makes me feel better, and makes me wonder what was going on and if there's more to it," said Pam Clifford. "And what were the weapons for?"

Multiple organizations - both state and national - also provided aid in the preceding investigation, including the Norfolk County DA and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security assisted during the investigation as well.

"This investigation and warrant execution was a shining example of a multi-agency partnership, and one that removed an arsenal of home-assembled high-capacity weapons from a defendant who was not authorized by law to make or possess them," Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, superintendent of Mass. State Police, is quoted as saying in a release by police.

The incident occurred on May Street in Wrentham on Friday morning.

* = Information provided by Mass. State Police

Cox Media Group