SLO man arrested after assault weapons, ghost guns discovered at home, DOJ says
The U.S. Department of Justice arrested a San Luis Obispo man after agents discovered an arsenal of illegal weapons at his home, the agency said.
Authorities seized a “large cache” of assault weapons, machine guns, ammunition, ghost guns and kits to build ghost guns — firearms that are unregistered and unserialized, making them difficult for law enforcement to trace, according to a news release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The suspect, who was not identified in the release, allegedly ordered machine gun parts from Russia, cut them up and used them to create illegal ghost guns.
Special agents from the DOJ’s Bureau of Firearms executed a search warrant at the suspect’s San Luis Obispo residence on Oct. 3, the release said.
They discovered “16 unregistered assault weapons, five unserialized ghost gun AK-style machine guns, 45 AK-style unserialized ghost gun machine gun kits with several stamped ‘Made in Russia,’ two silencers, one unregistered .50 caliber BMG rifle, 420 large-capacity magazines, and approximately 150 rounds of ammunition,” the release said.
Under California law, anyone who possesses, manufactures or assembles lawful firearms must apply to the DOJ for a unique serial number for each self-made firearm, according to the release.
Numerous tragedies in California can be traced back to ghost guns, the release said, such as the March 2022 church shooting in Sacramento that left three children and two adults dead.
“Firearms built at home by individuals who have not passed a background check and have not had their guns properly serialized leave law enforcement in the dark and endanger our communities,” Bonta said in the release. “We cannot stand idly by as children and families keep losing their lives to more tragedies caused by ghost guns.”
According to the release, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of possession of a silencer, machine gun, .50-caliber BMG rifle and assault weapon, as well as importing large-capacity magazines and manufacture of an assault weapon.
The DOJ is prosecuting the case.
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 11:26 AM.
