A Grayslake man has been arrested for making parts on a 3-D printer to convert firearms into automatic machine guns, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Charles A. Best, 31, of the 200 block of Highland Drive, was taken into custody after members of the sheriff’s Special Investigation Group and other officers searched Best’s residence Wednesday.
Police said they seized 64 machine gun conversion kits, three firearms and three silencers, along with two 3-D printers that they said were used to create gun parts.
Best was charged with five counts of illegal possession of a machine gun and unlawful possession of a silencer, authorities said. Prosecutors will seek to have Best detained until trial, police said.
“This investigation undoubtedly prevented bloodshed in our community,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “Gun traffickers are a real problem in Lake County and throughout the Chicagoland region.
“I want to make it clear to anyone trafficking guns or drugs in Lake County: The sheriff’s office and our partners will use all of our resources to find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable for your actions,” he said.
The sheriff’s office said it received aid from federal agencies and numerous local police departments in the course of the investigation.
