Police: Cambridge man had arsenal of untraceable firearms, ammo

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A 39-year-old Cambridge resident had almost 30 illegal guns, ammunition and bulletproofs vests when he was arrested Tuesday, according to Cambridge police.

Matthew Devine lived on Seven Pines Avenue near Davis Square and police say they found 28 illegal firearms in his home.

Devine purchased gun parts online and through weapon companies and assembled the parts into untraceable firearms without a license to carry, police say.

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Postal inspectors notified local police that Devine had received more than 75 packages worth over $26,000 in the months leading up to July 2018. Those packages allegedly included a complete AR-15 build kit, a milling machine and bulletproof vests.

Cambridge police swept through his home Tuesday afternoon and said they turned up a number of illegal and unregistered weapons, according to police.

• 25 illegal firearms 
• 3 unregistered assault rifles 
• Parts to make dozens of additional illegal firearms 
• Hundreds of rounds of ammunition
• 5 bulletproof vests and other body armor 
• Milling machines

“I wanted to commend our Detectives and our cooperating partners, who have diligently worked on this case over the last several months,” said Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. of the Cambridge Police Department. “The operation that was identified was deeply troubling and the results of this long-term investigation will make a significant positive impact on our community.”

Devine will be charged with 26 counts of Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition without an FID Card, three counts of Illegal Possession of Assault Rifles, six counts of Illegal Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device, three counts of Possession of a Silencer, one count of Possession of ammunition, and one count of use of body armor in the commission of a felony. He is expected to be arraigned today in Cambridge District Court.

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