A U.S. Postal Service employee found himself in handcuffs on Wednesday after an NYPD raid at his Brooklyn residence led to the discovery of six 3D-printed ghost guns, authorities reported.
Michael Gopaul, aged 40, now faces multiple charges for criminal weapon possession, law enforcement officials revealed.
The police arrived with a search warrant at Gopaul’s home on 83rd Street near Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge at approximately 6:30 a.m. This is where he resides with his 8-year-old daughter, according to police reports.
The seized 3D-printed guns, often referred to as ghost guns due to their lack of registration and difficulty in tracing, were designed to replicate the Austrian-made Glock pistol, officials stated.
Investigators noted that Gopaul had independently 3D-printed four of the firearms, while he sourced about 80% of the components for the remaining two from external suppliers.
The NYPD became aware of Gopaul’s illicit gun production roughly a year ago, after his online purchases of 3D-printing parts and supplies began to attract attention, law enforcement sources disclosed.
Police also recovered a standard Glock purchased legally out of state, five high-capacity magazines, 300 rounds of ammo and a 3D printer, cops said.
Following his arrest, Gopaul described himself to investigators as a gun buff, saying he enjoyed target shooting in Pennsylvania, according to police, who said he is not suspected of seeking to distribute the weapons.
Messages left seeking comment from USPS were not immediately returned.
