Police: Firearm Disguised As A Toy Seized During A Search Of A Catawba County Home

CATAWBA CO., N.C. — Investigators say during a search of a Catawba County home on Wednesday they found a rifle disguised as a toy Nerf gun along with felony amounts of narcotics.

Damien Burch, 35, was arrested for his involvement in this case and charged with felony possession of cocaine, felony possession of mushrooms, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, according to a news release.

Narcotics Investigators with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department, and the Newton Police Department executed the search of the home on Old Catawba Road on March 13th, after gathering evidence there were narcotics being held inside the home.

Detectives say during their search they seized quantities of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, $2,300 in U.S. currency, and twenty firearms consisting of pistols, rifles, and shotguns.

One of these weapons was a converted rifle that had been altered to look like a toy Nerf gun, and while this is not illegal to possess, police say it is concerning.

Investigators say Burch is currently being held under a $20,000 bond, and had his first appearance in Catawba County District Court on March 18th.

Sheriff Brown says “Another success resulting from our area Narcotics Teams working together. Our agencies pooling their resources allows for a greater impact to be felt county wide”.