Weapon disguised as toy Nerf gun among 20 firearms seized in Catawba County

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Earlier this week, Catawba County deputies seized drugs, cash and 20 firearms -- including one that was converted to look like a toy Nerf gun.

The sheriff’s office and the Hickory and Newton police departments performed a search Wednesday at a home on Old Catawba Road in Catawba.

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Investigators said they seized cocaine, magic mushrooms, $2,300 and 20 firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns.

The firearm that appeared to be a Nerf gun was a converted Glock-19 with a 50-round drum magazine, according to police.

Catawba Co-sheriff deputies and police search a home in Catawba where they seized quantities of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Deputies say they also found twenty firearms and a converted Glock model 19 rifle with a fifty round drum magazine resembling a nerf gun pic.twitter.com/Hs9s8ebvS9
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) March 18, 2021

“Firearms of this type, while not illegal to possess, are concerning to law enforcement,” the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Damien Alonzo Burch, 35, of Catawba, was arrested and charged with felonious possession of cocaine, felonious possession of mushrooms and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

He was issued a $20,000 unsecured bond and had a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on Thursday.

“Another success resulting from our area narcotics teams working together,” Sheriff Don Brown said. “Our agencies pooling their resources allows for a greater impact to be felt countywide.”