Months after an explosion led police to arrest a man on suspicion of having a small arsenal of guns, ammunition and explosives at his home in North Andover, Massachusetts, he's been charged in federal court.
Daniel Medina, 64, was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun and explosives, as well as being a felon with guns and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts said Friday. Medina is already facing charges in state court, through through which he's being held in custody.
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It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the federal charges. He pleaded not guilty to the state charges in July, soon after his arrest.
A search of Medina's house found 32 guns, including three shotguns and 12 rifles; 9,000 rounds of ammunition; 75 ammunition magazines; a Glock switch, which can effectively turn a handgun into a machine gun by increasing its firing rate; books on making guns, explosives and drugs; items that can be used as shrapnel and containers of flash powder that was used in the explosion, which damaged two cars outside the home, prosecutors said.
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Many of the guns found by law enforcement — which also included a SWAT team and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — didn't have serial numbers, officials have previously said, and Medina's gun license expired 24 years ago. Medina allegedly tried to hide the damage caused by the blast on Village Green Drive with spray paint.
Neighbor Lois DiNapoli previously told NBC10 Boston she heard the explosion that prompted the police response and said she had never been afraid of Medina or thought he wanted to hurt anyone, though she suggested he was being treated for a mental health condition.
Federal prosecutors said that Medina was convicted of assault and battery in Lawrence in 2002, which is why he was prohibited from carrying guns, ammunition and explosives.
