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Stash Of Weapons, Illegal Ammo Found In Westport Home

WESTPORT (CBS) - A former federal firearms dealer is facing charges after weapons and high capacity magazines were found in Westport.

Police say in all their years they have never seen a stash like the one they found in a house on Main Road. "Some of these are not registered to anyone," Westport Police Detective Jeff Majewski said.

What brought them to the guns and illegal ammunition was an odyssey that started with rare artwork, called sailor's valentines, valued at as much as $5,200 apiece.

Sailor's valentine
Sailor's valentine (WBZ-TV)

Police arrested Tyler Arruda and Matthew Cordero for allegedly stealing the art from a local restaurant.

Then police received a tip they were dropping the art off at a home on Old Colony Road. Police searched that home and found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and ammo, right across the street from Westport Middle School.

Homeowner Dwayne and Stephanie Hart were arrested. Also in their home, police found a box of ammunition addressed from a house on Main Road.

In that home, police found rifles, pistols, shotguns, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammo, gunpowder and smoke grenades. Wayne Cinquini, a former federal firearms dealer, was arrested.

Westport guns
Guns found in Westport home. (Westport Police)

Neighbors watched as police unloaded the stash. "There was just cop cars like surrounding the whole house, more and more kept coming as the day went on," Nicole Wilding said.

At one time, Wayne Cinquini had a Federal Firearms License as a previous gun store owner. He is charged with possession of a covert weapon, possession of high capacity law enforcement restricted gun magazines, transferring/selling high capacity gun magazines and four counts of having an unsecured firearm.

"The unfortunate part for the police is this is what we walk into when we go to a call," Detective Majewski said. "So we need to be able to have equipment that is a match or a rise above that."

Cinquini was arraigned in Fall River District Court and posted $5,000 cash bail. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are being considered.

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