Attorney General Bonta, Law Enforcement Partners Announce Seizure of Large Cache of Weapons in Tulare County APPS Investigation

Privately manufactured gun workshop discovered, large cache of weapons seized

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Bonta, together with law enforcement partners, today announced the results of an Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) investigation into a Tulare County resident who was listed in the APPS database and was found to be manufacturing illegal assault weapons in a home workshop. Agents seized 111 guns including rifles, privately manufactured AR-15 style lower receivers, pistols and shotguns, three silencers, and ammunition from the subject's residence. This investigation was initiated when the subject was determined to be prohibited from owning firearms through the APPS database. Further investigation by theCalifornia Department of Justice (DOJ) and Tulare County Agencies Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team (TARGET) Task Force revealed that the suspect owned multiple illegal firearms.
 
“As California’s chief law enforcement officer, protecting public safety and our communities from the threat of gun violence is my top priority. These investigations demonstrate exactly why the Armed and Prohibited Persons System is vital for the safety of our communities,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “In our efforts to retrieve illegally owned guns from a prohibited individual, we uncovered a massive cache of illegal firearms including an entire ghost gun manufacturing operation. I am grateful for the work of our Bureau of Firearms special agents and local law enforcement partners in getting these illegal weapons out of the hands of this prohibited individual.”
 
“California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) values its partnership with allied law enforcement agencies to keep communities safe from gun violence,” said DAPO Director Bryan Bishop. “We are proud to use our expertise to prevent prohibited individuals from having access to firearms.”
 

Following the service of a search warrant, DOJ special agents, Parole Agents from CDCR, and Deputies from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department seized 30 pistols, 44 rifles, 22 shotguns, 108 standard capacity magazines, one large capacity magazine, approximately 55,000 rounds of ammunition, three silencers, 15 privately manufactured AR-15 style lower receivers, six jigs, and 14 AR-15 upper receivers.  A shop was located behind the suspect’s residence that contained many of the items seized as well as the tools, equipment, and machinery used in the manufacture of firearms. Agents located one of the privately manufactured AR-15 style lower receivers on a milling machine that was being used to complete the manufacture process.
 
The case will be forwarded to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office for prosecution. The suspect is facing criminal charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, possession of a privately manufactured unserialized firearm, manufacturing of an unserialized firearm, and possession of a silencer.
 
In 2006, California became the first state in the nation to establish a system for tracking and recovering firearms from owners who fall into a prohibited status. The APPS database works to identify individuals who lawfully procured firearms and later became prohibited from owning or possessing them. In general, prohibited persons in APPS include individuals who were convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, were placed under a domestic violence or other restraining order, or suffer from serious mental illness.
 
DOJ’s Bureau of Firearms (BOF) serves the people of California through education, regulation, and enforcement actions regarding the manufacture, sale, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms and ammunition. BOF staff are leaders in providing firearms expertise and information to law enforcement, legislators, and the general public in a comprehensive program to ensure legitimate and responsible firearm possession and use by California residents. BOF is looking to hire additional special agents and more information on assessments for relevant job openings can be found on DOJ's website at oag.ca.gov/careers/exams.
 
Here are photos of the seizure:
Photo 1
Photo 2