Long before officers had a chance to flip a single cushion or open a single drawer, the search was already over.

Ajahnae Nicholas made it easy for them. The 26-year-old, faced with a team of police officers bearing a search warrant at his Green Bay Hill home on the morning of April 10, didn’t wait to be found out. Asked if there was anything illegal on the premises, he pointed them straight to his bedroom — where, tucked beneath his bed and wrapped in a striped sheet inside a black plastic bag, sat a silver Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun with its serial number scraped clean.

His explanation? He found it in the bush.

The candid admission may have spared him a lengthy search, but it couldn’t spare him a court date. Nicholas stood before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, entered a guilty plea, and was remanded to custody. He’ll learn his fate on May 12.

Not everyone left the courtroom in the same position. His 20-year-old co-accused, Kayshia Riley of Sweets Village, had her charge thrown out entirely. Attorney Sherfield Bowen appeared for the defence.

Prosecutors noted the weapon — capable of firing 3-inch shells at close range — was no ordinary find. With its serial number removed and its destructive potential, police classified it as a serious public safety threat.

The court is now weighing sentencing guidelines before delivering its verdict next month.