CATAWBA, N.C. — Deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff's Office say firearms being seized during a drug bust aren't new; finding guns with illicit drugs is common, and deputies typically find multiple firearms. But CCSO says a gun they seized on Wednesday is alarming, although admittedly not illegal.
CCSO says they handled a search warrant at a home along Old Catawba Road in Catawba with help from Hickory PD and Newton PD on Wednesday, March 13. The search turned up cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, and weed, along with $2,300 in cash. Twenty firearms including pistols, rifles, and shotguns were also seized, but most notable was a particular Glock 19.
According to deputies, this gun was a converted rifle with a fifty-round drum magazine and had been altered to look like a Nerf toy gun. Photos shared by deputies show the Glock body was painted blue and orange, fitting into an attachment with the Nerf logo on it. The tip on the attachment even looks like it could be a toy. The only thing that stuck out was the rear part of the attachment, which had not been painted to match the Nerf color scheme. CCSO said in their news release this isn't necessarily illegal, but it's something that's concerning to them.
The 35-year-old man in possession of that gun, the other firearms, drugs, and cash, was a Catawba resident. Deputies say he's been arrested and charged with felonious possession of cocaine, felonious possession of mushrooms, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. A $20,000 unsecured bond was issued, and deputies say he already had a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on Thursday, March 18.
