As reported by The Times-News of Burlington, NC, a former Marine and Greensboro police officer is facing federal charges for possession of an unregistered firearm, in addition to state charges for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
It all started to unravel when the ex-cop was initially at the center of a state investigation into the theft of thousands of dollars worth of lawn equipment, including lawnmowers and UTVs allegedly stolen from numerous John Deere dealers throughout the area. When law enforcement came to search the suspect’s home, they discovered an illegally possessed firearm and accessories, in addition to allegedly stolen ammunition and body armor.
Here’s a rundown of what the officers found:
- Modified short-barrel AM-15 rifle and three homemade silencers
- 8,400 rounds of various ammunition
- 43 hard armor plates
- 12 soft ballistic vests
- 3 ProTec ballistic panels
- 2 soft ballistic plates
- 2 hard trauma ballistic plates.
According to the federal complaint, investigators say the man, William Zachary White, could become dangerous. He had been an officer with the Greensboro Police Department since 2010. He was terminated on March 6 of this year. In addition to white, three other men have been charged in connection with the lawn equipment thefts: Jeffrey Strickland Jr., Jeffrey Strickland Sr., and Christopher Strickland.
