SALEM, MA — A Salem man was arraigned in Salem District Court on charges of Possession of an Incendiary Device and Possession of an Assault Weapon following an investigation that recovered illegal firearm devices and materials that could be used to make incendiary devices.
Patrick Gordon, 42, of Salem, was arrested after investigators executed a search warrant at his apartment on Dec. 22.
His bail was set at $100,000 and his next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026.
On Dec. 15, Massachusetts State Police received information that Gordon, who does not have a valid License to Carry or Firearm Identification Card, had ordered and shipped large capacity magazines to his mother’s home in Bedford, New Hampshire.
Investigators learned that over the past six months, Gordon had also ordered several firearm-related items and a kit that can create four pounds of thermite to his apartment on Harbor Street.
The search warrant execution uncovered several firearm components in violation of Massachusetts gun laws, including firearm parts commonly used in assault rifles, and a 3D printer that the Attorney General’s Office alleges Gordon used to manufacture ghost guns.
Investigators seized large quantities of fuels and oxidizers that, when used alone or in combination, could be used to make destructive or incendiary devices.
Investigators also located an unknown amount of Flash Powder, a highly energetic pyrotechnic mixture commonly associated with fireworks that burns quickly and produces a sudden bright flash.
Flash Powder is very sensitive to heat, shock, static electricity, and friction and is illegal to possess in any amount.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Diana Fantasia with assistance from Chief Jennifer Kirshenbaum of the Attorney General’s Office’s Enterprise and Major Crimes Division.
Massachusetts State Police’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Section and Salem Police Department provided substantial assistance with the investigation.
