A North Carolina man was arrested at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Cape May for possession of an assault rifle and numerous rounds of ammunition.
Dustin A. Peters, 25, of Wilmington, N.C., was charged with possession of assault firearms, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of hollow point ammunition, high-capacity magazines and other weapons-related charges, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Cape May City Police Chief Anthony Marino said in a joint press release.
On Jan. 9, Peters was stopped by Coast Guard security for a routine security check on his vehicle at the entrance to the USCG Base TRACEN.
During the check, Peters was found to be in possession of hollow point ammunition. He also had a handgun, an illegal assault rifle, numerous high-capacity magazines for the weapon, body armor and numerous rounds of ammunition, according to the release.
It was determined during the course of the investigation that Peters came to the base to attend a graduation ceremony.
The U.S. Coast Guard Base TRACEN in Cape May. (Photo courtesy Facebook Coast Guard page)
Peters was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a machine gun, possession of an assault firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of hollow point ammunition and 10 counts of possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Authorities did not immediately disclose whether Peters was planning to do anything with the weapons.
Peters was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by the Cape May Police Department, Coast Guard Police Department, Coast Guard Investigative Services, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Members of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force were notified and responded to assist due to the types of weapons and ammunition found and that the incident occurred at a military base.
