California law enforcement seized 111 guns from a Tulare County resident who was prohibited from owning firearms and was operating an illegal firearm manufacturing operation. Agents discovered a workshop behind the suspect's residence equipped with tools, machinery and components used to manufacture unserialized "ghost guns."
The investigation began through the state's Armed and Prohibited Persons System database, which identifies individuals who lawfully owned firearms but later became prohibited from possessing them. The California Department of Justice and the Tulare County Sheriff's Department served a search warrant at the residence.
The seizure included 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 manufacturing jigs and 14 AR-15 upper receivers. Agents found one AR-15 lower receiver on a milling machine in the process of being manufactured.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said, "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. This investigation demonstrates exactly why the Armed and Prohibited Persons System is vital for the safety of our communities."
The suspect faces criminal charges including possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, manufacturing of an unserialized firearm, and possession of a silencer. The case has been forwarded to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office for prosecution.