CONCORD — A Concord man has been charged after police found out a 9-year-old sold him an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

According to a report from the Concord Police Department, officers arrested Paul Edward Dukes Jr., 27, and charged him with manufacture/possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction on Monday, Dec. 19. The charges came during an investigation of firearms reportedly found by juveniles.

The report says during the investigation on Patrick Henry Drive, information developed that a 9-year-old had sold Dukes the rifle. Dukes was found nearby and an officer talked to him about the incident.

Dukes said he had bought the rifle from the child for $20. He also said he was planning to turn the rifle in because he is on probation and not supposed to possess a firearm.

The report said Dukes told officers the rifle was at his parents’ apartment, at 3170 Patrick Henry Drive NW. When police arrived there and interviewed the family, they all said Dukes had found the rifle and put it in a closet in the house.

Police were allowed to search the home and the rifle was found in the closet. Police reported they also found a silver Remington 870 Express with a barrel that was about 12 inches long and had been shortened past the factory specifications. The wooden stock was sawn and converted to a pistol grip.

The officer took both weapons and a box of 12-gauge ammunition back to the patrol vehicle and stored it there, the report said.

The officer advised Dukes of his Miranda Rights and Dukes allowed the officer to ask him some questions. After some initial resistance, Dukes admitted he had found the shotgun in Greensboro a few weeks earlier and kept it, the report said.

Dukes was taken to the Cabarrus County Jail where he was given a $10,000 bond.