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Orange County resident Noah James McCagg, age 21, of Port Jervis, was arrested on Saturday, March 25, following a foot chase by police on Front Street by Port Jervis Police.
When arrested, McCagg was in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol, said Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden.
An investigation revealed that McCagg had created the pistol inside his Prospect Street residence using a 3-D printer, Worden said.
McCagg was arrested after an investigation conducted by the Port Jervis City Police, who were aided by the Orange County Drug Task Force. The investigation initially pertained to narcotics, police said.
In addition to the loaded pistol which McCagg is charged with possessing, Port Jervis Police also recovered a 3-D printer that McCagg was apparently using to create operable firearms similar to the one he was possessing on Front Street, Worden said.
These homemade guns, which bear no serial numbers, are commonly referred to as “ghost guns” and are becoming more prevalent, police said.
McCagg, who was charged with criminal possession of a weapon faces up to 15 years in prison, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.
Port Jervis Police and the District Attorney's Office are continuing to investigate whether other “ghost guns” were created at the Prospect Street location, and what became of those guns, Worden said.
McCagg was arraigned in the City of Port Jervis Court and is being held in the Orange County Jail in lieu of bail in the amount of $25,000 cash, $75,000 secured bond, or $100,000 unsecured bond.
He is next scheduled to appear in Court on Wednesday, March 29.
“There is considerable concern regarding the threat posed by ghost guns, which are homemade weapons often constructed to sell to persons who otherwise would not be able to legally obtain a firearm,” said Worden. “By obtaining gun parts and blueprints readily available on the internet, ghost gun manufacturers exploit new technology to profit and make our communities less safe by providing yet another avenue for a criminal to obtain an illegal gun.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Port Jervis Police Department at 845-856-5101.
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