Mar. 11—WILKES-BARRE — Suspicious materials in a garbage bag discarded near a convenience store in Plains Township led to the arrest of a Wilkes-Barre man accused of using 3D printers to manufacture plastic guns, known as ghost guns, that work similar to a firearm.

Jose R. Rodriguez, 44, of George Avenue, was charged with four counts of illegal possession of a firearm by Luzerne County detectives following an investigation involving police in Plains Township and Wilkes-Barre and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Investigators were led to Rodriguez due to shipping tags with his name recovered from the garbage bag, court records say.

"Plains Township developed a lead as a result of a civilian reporting to police that he found suspicious materials in a dumpster. Upon investigation by the Plains police department, they contacted our office and our gun violence reduction task force which has been working in conjunction with the (Pennsylvania) Attorney Generals Office. We are able to get a search warrant and uncover a major operation which was printing, an individual printing all of these ghost guns," Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said at a news conference at the courthouse Monday.

Manufactured guns seized during Rodriguez's arrest and search of his residence were displayed at the news conference, including three 3D printers used to mold the plastic guns.

"There are three printers; the public calls these ghost guns but we call them privately made firearms," said Special Agent Joseph Price with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "These firearms, these firearms do no have serial numbers. When they get out and used in a crime, they are untraceable.

"They are a problem for law enforcement; they are a problem for the community. They are very dangerous. This is a lot of stuff that is printed here," Price said while overlooking the confiscated plastic guns.

Investigators recovered shipping tags and invoices from the garbage bag allegedly revealing Rodriguez purchased a Glock 9mm 17 round polymer magazine and a Smith & Wesson repair kit. The garbage bag also contained 3D printed gun parts, slides, lower receivers, magazines, a suppressor and other smaller parts, court records say.

A background search on Rodriguez revealed numerous felony convictions that prohibit him from owning, carrying and being in possession of a firearm, Sanguedolce said.

When investigators served the search warrant at Rodriguez's residence, numerous parts to manufacture ghost guns and 50 9mm rounds were found including three 3D printers. One printer was still in its box, court records say.