Man held in alleged uniform, club sale

Costa Mesa police arrested a Garden Grove man on probation who tried to sell an old Costa Mesa police SWAT uniform online and had weapons in his home, authorities said Wednesday.

Police arrested Craig McVay, 48, in his home Tuesday afternoon after approaching him as potential buyers of the uniform, and he revealed he was also selling an old police Billy club, said Sgt. Bryan Glass.

A Craigslist ad for a SWAT jumpsuit for $30 prompted several people to tell police about the sale, Glass said. Once officers looked it up, they decided to investigate who the seller was and found out McVay was on probation and went to his house, police said.

Authorities said McVay sold plain-clothes officers the uniform, then mentioned he was selling the police Billy club. McVay is on three years’ formal probation for a 2007 drug conviction, and having a weapon or ammunition is illegal, police said.

Officers arrested McVay and searched his home. Police found a disassembled rifle and bullets for other guns, including old Costa Mesa police ammunition magazines, Glass said.

McVay, in Orange County Jail, is due in court today.

— Joseph Serna