A Queens lumberyard worker was arrested yesterday for possessing more than 30 guns, three silencers, and 5,000 rounds of ammunition without a permit, officials said.

Keith Boyer, 45, was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, menacing, and criminal possession of a weapon. His wife, Roberta Boyer, 39, also was arrested on a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. Officials said the couple could face further charges for possession of a silencer, which is a federal offense.

Mr. Boyer has a permit to own handguns in Dutchess County, where he has a home, but not in New York City. A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Joseph Green, said he did not have a federal firearms license.

Officers discovered the collection of guns on April 25 in the Boyers’ apartment in the Whitestone section of Queens after Mrs. Boyer called the police about a “man with a firearm,” Lieutenant Christopher Guiffre said.

Mr. Boyer’s uncle, Bruce Boyer, who owns a neighboring gun store and lumberyard, said his nephew was upset about recent deaths in his family.

“After his mother died two weeks ago, he had a lot of problems,” Bruce Boyer said. “He got distraught. He had a cat for 17 years. Then the cat died.”

Lieutenant Guiffre said Keith Boyer was taking medication and had received psychiatric help in the past.

“He had his problems,” a neighbor, Jerry Holloran, 72, said of Mr. Boyer.

Mr. Boyer surrendered after the emergency services unit surrounded the apartment building. Police found a 12-gauge shotgun and a .32 caliber handgun in his bedroom, and discovered the rest of the guns in a safe after returning later with a search warrant.

Lieutenant Guiffre said Mr. Boyer owned a FN Herstal Five-seveN, whose bullets can pierce bulletproof vests. Ninety-one magazines and 46 holsters were also found in the apartment, police said.