Delaware Natural Resources Police (DNRP) State Parks Unit officers arrested a 21-year-old Newark man on multiple felony charges after finding him with a loaded, illegally modified handgun in White Clay Creek State Park.

At about 12:10 p.m. Aug. 23, a state park volunteer working near the park office on Thompson Station Road contacted a DNRP officer after hearing a gunshot nearby. The volunteer told the officer that after the shot, he saw a man carrying a black bag and a woman walking away from the area toward the park office parking lot.

The responding DNRP officer located the individuals described walking on a trail and made contact with them. During the contact, the man was found to be in possession of a loaded .45-caliber Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number that had been illegally modified to fire as an automatic weapon.

Following a brief struggle, the DNRP officer took the man into custody. He was then transported to the University of Delaware Police Department, where State Park officers completed their investigation and charged him with the following crimes:

• Possession a firearm within 10 years of prior felony conviction (Felony)
• Possession of ammunition by a person prohibited (Felony)
• Possession of a weapon with a removed, obliterated or altered serial number (Felony)
• Possession of a destructive weapon – machine gun/weapon adaptable for use as machine gun (Felony)
• Carrying a concealed deadly weapon (Felony)
• Resisting arrest (Misdemeanor)
• Possession/discharge of a firearm in a state park (Violation)

The subject was video arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to Howard Young Correctional Institution on a $28,050 secured bond. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. DNREC’s Delaware Natural Resources Police is a fully sworn police department with statewide authority to enforce criminal law, hunting, fishing, boating and environmental laws and regulations. They serve Delawareans on waterways and land both public and private. 

Media contact: Lieut. Rebecca Salmon, rebecca.salmon@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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