Man charged with bringing machine gun to NJ Coast Guard base
CAPE MAY — A man who showed up at a Coast Guard training center with hollow-point bullets was arrested on Thursday after a search revealed he also had a machine gun, assault rifle and body armor.
The Coast Guard told The Associated Press that it does not consider Dustin Peters, 25, of Wilmington, North Carolina, a threat to the U.S. Coast Guard TRACEN in Cape May or the community. Officials told NBC New York it was likely a case of poor judgement.
Training Center Cape May is the Coast Guard's 5th largest base where all recruits first report.
A guard noticed the ammunition when Peters pulled up to the security check, which prompted an additional examination, according to Cape May Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland.
Peters later told investigators he was at the base to attend a graduation ceremony, according to Sutherland. According to the base's website, the E198 Company graduation was scheduled for Healy Hall on Friday. Their Facebook page said the recruits had been at the base since November 21.
Police told NBC New York Peters was at the base for his wife's graduation.
Peters was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a machine gun and possession of an assault firearm and fourth-degree possession of prohibited weapon, possession of hollow point ammunition and ten counts of possession of high capacity ammunition magazines.
Peters was being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
Sutherland said the Cape May Police Department, Coast Guard Police Department, Coast Guard Investigative Services and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force were all part of the investigation.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ
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