Arrest of former Cornell student with cache of weapons, AR-15 leaves officers 'stunned'

Reporters Jolene Almendarez and Kelsey O'Connor contributed to the reporting of this story.

ITHACA, N.Y. – A former Cornell student was arrested on Thursday following an investigation which led officers to find a cache of weapons, ammunition, and other illegal or suspicious items.

The Ithaca Police Department initiated an investigation on March 7, following a tip from a local business suggesting suspicious activity involving the occupant of an apartment on the 100 block of Dryden Road.

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While searching the apartment, officers recovered an unassembled AR-15 rifle, a gas mask, a homemade silencer, various ammunition for different firearms, pipes and other materials and equipment commonly used to assemble destructive devices, high-capacity rifle magazines, medical trauma supplies, a bulletproof vest, food rations, and fireworks, police say.

Maximilien Reynolds, 20, who lived in the apartment, was taken into police custody on Thursday without incident and charged with federal crimes in the U.S. Northern District Court of New York.

A search of Reynolds' Subaru Outback revealed that he'd modified a flare gun to shoot live ammunition, an official familiar with the investigation said. The official also said that two units at an I-Deal Self Storage facility on Slaterville Road were searched, but it is not believed that any suspicious items were found there.

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"Neither Cornell University Police nor the lead law enforcement agencies, in this case, believe there is a threat to the campus or Collegetown," said Cornell University Police Chief Kathy Zoner in a news release.

John Carberry, Senior Director of Media Relations and News at Cornell confirmed that Reynolds was a former student at Cornell, but is not currently enrolled.

Ray Schlather, Reynolds' attorney, said the defendant was sick and in the midst of treatment at Cayuga Medical’s Behavioral Sciences Unit at the time of his arrest on Thursday night.

"The Court, quite correctly, has directed that his treatment continue, and that his mental health be evaluated before any court proceedings go forward," Schlather said in an email. "Accordingly, no plea has been entered. All preliminary indications are that the materials and conduct at issue were defensive in nature, and that no one was under threat or in jeopardy."

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"What started as a tip from a citizen at a local business about some suspicious behavior led to an alarming discovery," Ithaca Police Chief Pete Tyler said in a statement. "The high capacity magazine and silencer are illegal to possess; the law is very clear on that. Collectively all of these items certainly suggest a specific recipe for large-scale destruction."

Reynolds is charged with possession of a destructive device and a silencer, as well as aiding and abetting the “straw purchase” of a rifle. The straw purchase of a firearm typically suggests someone who can't legally purchase a gun has a second individual buy one with the intentional purpose of selling the firearm illegally. The charges Reynolds are currently facing for the possession of a firearm and silencer both carry a maximum of up to 10 years in prison with fines up to $10,000 dollars. The charge alleging that Reynolds aided and abetted in the 'straw purchase' of a rifle could also carry up to 10 years in prison and fines may reach $250,000 dollars. "This investigation is a successful example of 'see something, say something' with appropriate follow-up action taken by local and federal law enforcement, all working together with a positive, proactive outcome," Tyler said. "I’m very proud of the team of investigators who worked diligently and methodically to prevent any potential tragedy from occurring." Police say IPD worked closely with FBI investigators from the Ithaca office to apprehend the defendant. The Tompkins County District Attorneys Office, Cornell University Police Department, New York State Police, and the United States Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives also assisted with the investigation.