Northeast Philadelphia

Possible explosives, illegal guns, drugs found in Northeast Philly house

Philadelphia police laid out a slew of alleged illegal activity they found in the Cottman Avenue home of a convicted felon

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Police responding to reports of gunfire at a Northeast Philadelphia home Sunday afternoon wound up uncovering illegal drugs, several guns, two stolen vehicles and several potentially explosive devices, investigators said.

Police officers rushed to the 4200 block of Cottman Avenue around 1:20 p.m., initially for reports of gunshots inside the house, Philadelphia police said.

"The officers located the offender inside of the residence, as well as multiple firearms, including handguns, a possible AR style rifle, and a shotgun," police said Monday. "The offender is a convicted felon, and thereby barred from owning or possessing firearms."

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The guns were just part of the issues uncovered in the home, according to investigators.

"While inside of the residence, officers noticed large jugs filled with a liquid chemical, narcotics, and drug paraphernalia," police said.

The person inside the home was taken into custody as police got a search warrant for the home.

While executing that search warrant, police found what they initially said was a cardboard box that has several fuses protruding from it.

After the discovery, the home was cleared around 8:40 p.m. and the bomb squad was called in, police said. The device was then removed from the home.

"Preliminary examination by bomb technicians reveals nine (9) devices, eight (8) of which contain a fine powdery substance similar in appearance and consistency to known explosive powders, consistent in design and construction to improvised explosive devices," police wrote.

The fire department also was called in to address the large containers of a mystery liquid, police said. Those containers were later made safe.

The potential explosive devices were among only some of the illicit things police said they found on the 35-year-old's property.

"Philadelphia Police recovered an AR style rifle with an obliterated serial number, a 357 revolver, a Taurus 9mm, a military style bullet proof vest, and a large quantity of narcotics including alleged marijuana, crystal meth, crack cocaine, mushrooms, heroin and Xanax pills," police wrote. "In addition, A counterfeit money making machine with bottles of ink and an undetermined amount of USC, possibly counterfeit were found inside the residence." All of those items were secured for further processing by a federal agency."

Police also found a stolen 2023 Yamaha motorcycle and a stolen Mercedes Benz in his driveway, investigators said.

All of the items taken from the home were taken in for further investigation, police said.

The man in the home has yet to be named and charges were pending as of Monday morning, police said.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.

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