Maryland Man Arrested Near Casino with Weapons and Ammunition

Arrest Near Arundel Mills

Authorities in Anne Arundel County apprehended a 56-year-old man from Upper Marlboro after finding a vehicle loaded with firearms, ammunition, and body armor close to Arundel Mills. This location is Maryland’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment hub, also home to the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, which features 4,000 slot machines and 200 live gaming tables.

Discovery of Weapons in the SUV

At approximately 8:45 p.m., police responded to a report regarding a suspicious blue 2016 Ford Explorer parked at Arundel Mills Circle in Hanover. Upon arrival, they found the vehicle vacant but noticed a semi-automatic rifle clearly visible in the open trunk.

Officers quickly identified the vehicle’s owner, known by the initials R.M., and conducted a thorough search, uncovering a significant cache of weapons and related items.

The seized arsenal included an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 semi-automatic rifle, two loaded 9mm handguns (Ruger and SCCY Industries CPX-1 models), both reported stolen, along with 90 rounds of 12-gauge and 9mm ammunition, a bag of Luger 9mm bullets, two sets of body armor, Remington .223 caliber rounds, and four fully loaded magazines containing Remington .223 ammunition.

Authorities confirmed R.M. was not legally permitted to possess firearms and arrested him accordingly, bringing multiple charges.

The Issue of Illegal ‘Ghost Guns’ in Maryland

This arrest highlights ongoing concerns over illegal guns and untraceable “ghost guns” in Maryland. A notable case from November involved the arrest of a 39-year-old man, J.T., in St. Mary’s County for manufacturing untraceable firearms.

Law enforcement found an extensive array of weapons after responding to a domestic assault call at his residence in Lexington Park. Although the suspect fled, searches of his property and vehicles uncovered items including 3D-printed firearms, handguns, shotguns, an AK-47 rifle, firearm suppressors, and over 1,300 rounds of ammunition.

Additionally, authorities seized 74 auto sears—which can transform semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firearms—and a 3D-printed automatic rifle.

J.T. faces multiple charges such as illegal ammunition possession, assault weapon intent to sell, and second-degree assault, as reported by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

So far, police have not linked the recent arrest of R.M. to other active investigations in Anne Arundel County.