BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island man with an arsenal of more than 200 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition has been arrested on gun charges, federal prosecutors said Friday.
The weapons were seized from the Burrillville home of Ronald Andruchuk, 37, after officers responded to reports of shots fired early Thursday.
U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha’s office said shots were still being fired as officers arrived, with some bullets passing over their heads.
Andruchuk, who had been arrested in 2018 on drug charges, was found wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying four firearms and methamphetamine.
Prosecutors say a court-authorized search found 211 firearms and the thousands of rounds of ammunition strewn throughout the property, which Andruchuk shares with his wife and three young children.
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Cunha’s office said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating Andruchuk after he purchased 169 firearms from licensed firearms dealers last year but made false statements on his applications to the ATF.
He’s been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, making false statements in an application to purchase firearms, and causing false records to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer, according to Cunha’s office.
It couldn’t be immediately determined if Andruchuk has a lawyer.
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