CNN
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Authorities in Maryland are searching for a man who faces multiple weapons charges after a colorful arsenal of firearms, including illegal “ghost guns,” were found in his home.

Police were responding Thursday evening to reports of a domestic assault at a home in Lexington Park, about 60 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., before discovering a “vast collection” of weapons, they said Friday the St. Mary County Sheriff’s Office in a statement.

Ghost guns are kits that a user can purchase online to assemble a fully functional firearm at home using individual parts or parts made with 3D printers and plastic resins. They are often untraceable and authorities say they are showing up at crime scenes with increasing frequency.

The suspect, who police identified as Jerod Adam Taylor, fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, the sheriff’s office said.

Several firearms were found “in plain view” in the residence, although Taylor, 39, was legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions and an outstanding arrest warrant for flight, the statement said.

A subsequent search found several 3D printed “ghost guns” without serial numbers, semi-automatic rifles, handguns and shotguns. A total of 80 firearms were recovered, including a 3D-printed fully automatic rifle, police said.

Numerous high-capacity magazines, more than 1,300 rounds of ammunition, bulletproof vests and 3D printers were also among the items seized, the statement added.

The suspect faces charges of illegal possession of ammunition, illegal possession of an assault weapon with intent to sell, second-degree assault and several other related charges, authorities said.

The use of ghost guns is on the rise across the country, with the Biden administration telling the Supreme Court that police departments have faced an “explosion of crimes involving ghost guns” in recent years. In 2017, police submitted approximately 1,600 ghost guns recovered from crime scenes for research. Four years later, their number exceeded 19,000.

The Biden administration has reinforced regulation on ghost guns as part of a series of actions related to gun safety. In 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives required ghost gun manufacturers to include serial numbers on kits and conduct background checks on people who purchase them.

However, advocacy groups and several companies making the kits have sought to challenge the decisionarguing before the Supreme Court that the regulations were not authorized by law. The kits are not weapons, they say, but rather parts.

During oral arguments last month, the Supreme Court signaled its willingness to uphold the Biden administration’s rule. A decision in Garland v. VanDerStok is expected by next summer.