Clayton resident John King was arraigned today and plead not guilty in Martinez on two felony counts for possession of assault weapons and one felony count for manufacturing or assembling an unregistered firearm.
The 54-year-old former volunteer with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office was under investigation for possessing illegal firearms, and in early January 2022, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, along with state and federal authorities, seized 132 guns from King’s home after serving him with a search warrant, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities also say they found equipment used to manufacture unregistered firearms — or ghost guns — on his property.
Ghost guns are made using do-it-yourself kits where the components needed to make handguns or rifles are almost complete. Those who buy the kits are often supplied instructions and parts to complete the manufacturing of fully functional firearms. These untraceable weapons often do not have unique serial numbers as required by California law.
Authorities say King illegally manufactured or assembled a .22 caliber rifle and possessed a .223 assault rifle and a .556 pistol.
34 comments
I guess he was trying to single-handedly arm a well-regulated militia.
All laws repugnant to the constitution are null and void. Just saying..
I guess we’ll find of if the court honors the constitution.
*sigh* So many people can not read and comprehend simple words and never paid attention in history class. The 2nd Amendment was written when the US did not have a standing Army.
A WELL REGULATED MILITIA (militia is defined in Hamilton’s 29th Federalist Paper as a national guard) being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
It says nothing about weapons of war. Serial number are required because criminal behavior has changed over the last 200 years. I want the police to be able to track down a gun used in a crime.
Hey @ Doh Educate yourself read the Heller Decision. We have an individual right to keep and bear arms.
@Doh,
It doesn’t say, “the right of the militia…” It says, “the right of the people…”
And when was the last time you heard of a murder case being cracked by tracking down the owner of a gun by its serial number?
Doh
What democrat hack did you steal this tweet from? “weapons of war” What a looney bird.
You think you are the only person who can read? You think it’s unclear what people have the right to bear arm and not have their right infringed?
I have an idea, let’s take the guns from the people and issue 87,000 new armed IRS agents who are willing to kill. You people have lost the plot and the argument. SHALL NOT
Doh wouldn’t know a “weapon of war” from silly string.
Go ahead Doh… tell us what weapons of war an American citizen is allowed to own.
There is no such thing as a “ghost gun”. These are home made guns. Laws that ban them are a direct infringement of our right to bear arms.
Cops who enforce these ghost gun laws are oath-breakers.
@H,
Yeah, it is totally meaningless. I have my father’s old single shot bolt action .22LR rifle. It was manufactured without a serial number. Untraceable? Ghost gun? Give me a break!
They keep passing lack of common sense gun laws and one day I just might be a felon, too. I guess that is the objective … in California, at least.
No ghost guns? Then what does Casper go haunting with?
@Martinezmike….The same guns as Cosmo Topper used….you youngins can look that name up.
People forget the 2nd Amendment was enshrined primarily to protect individuals from the unjust might of government. Still is.
He may be guilty but the laws that apply are probably unconstitutional (especially in light of the NY v. Bruen decision) and do not exist in most states.
Those “laws” he broke never should have been laws in the first place. It sounds like this guy wasn’t hurting anybody.
Unfortunately, he’ll probably do more time than a repeat felon who uses a stolen gun to rob a liquor store.
I LOVE YOU GUYS. IM SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
The responses to this unjust arrest are making me tear up.
We can fix this country.
People who make ridiculous statements about California gun laws being “unconstitutional” need to learn about our justice system.
We know all about the just us system. Not following the constitution is not justice. You commies throw that word around so much it’s meaningless. The constitution is the law. You have no standing.
I suspect that you meant our “legislative” system. The U.S. Constitution remains intact … so far.
Are you trolling or serious?
.
This state should be more concerned about illegal immigrants who steal public resources (public education, social services, healthcare, etc.) and occupy residential units that could house rightful residents.
.
GET OUT.
I don’t care how many legal guns somebody owns. It’s idiots like this that produce illegal guns, that make legal gun owners have to fight to validate our ownership. Throw the freakin’ book at the moron.
I read this plain English statement and understood that they found equipment (maybe a drill press, milling machine, jigs?):
“Authorities also say they found equipment used to manufacture unregistered firearms — or ghost guns — on his property.”
If they found that he used such equipment to manufacture unregistered firearms, why isn’t it written that way. Such equipment can also be used to make registered firearms so the important question is not whether such equipment was found but were illegally manufactured firearms without state required serial numbers found?
When they ban machine tools, only criminals will have machine tools.
CA gun laws are crazy. This guy sounds like a decent guy – volunteering his time to the Sheriff’s department….hardly sounds like the criminal element that Law Enforcement should be focusing on.
So out of 132 guns, 3 were found to be illegal under the psychotic California gun control laws? So now he will be charged with a felony and if convicted he will lose all of his guns and the right to purchase more in the future. This sucks! I hope he gets a good lawyer and beats these charges, gets his guns back and moves to a free State where he can enjoy his passion.First it is a right, then it’s a privilege, then it’s a crime. Always protect your rights because once they become a privilege, they are gone.
The only reason the guns are illegal was because the government didn’t know he had them. he wasn’t hurting anyone, and it sounds like a hobby. He enjoyed making guns. And has probably been doing it for many years. The politicians and their media have convinced the simple thinkers that the gun is the problem, not the person shooting the gun or the person that uses the gun to comit crimes. That said, if he was making the guns to sell then that would change everything.
Convicted felons, armed with illegal weapons and accessories, walk the streets freely committing more crimes daily.
Yet the DA can only prosecute some guy making guns.
That’s Soros style justice from the bought and paid for DA.
Why not word the press release “Man found to possess 3 firearms ruled illegal under CA law” , listing how many guns he legally owns is just grandstanding by the DA. If someone really wants to obtain an firearm illegal under CA law it’s much easier to just go out of state and bring it back.
His biggest mistakes are #1 living in CA and #2 letting someone know he built a couple guns. Should have disassembled them after building.
My guess is he has no prior criminal record.
The more legal gun owners are prosecuted the more they psycologically force rightful gun owners to not buy any or turn them in. They will proceed to remove 2A in that form allowing felons to be free. Their focus is to remove the rights.
“Shall not be infringed.” What part of that is unclear. All gun laws are illegal.
Sounds like it wasn’t “just a hobby”. He was selling, according to the KRON4 story. His soon-to-be ex-wife turned him in.
If you don’t want to be arrested, don’t break the law. At the very least, don’t piss off your wife.
If he was selling illegal items then he’s an idiot and deserves what he has coming. #1 rule as a dude never piss off a soon to be ex girlfriend or wife….
You left out part of it….”A well regulated militia, Being necessary to the security of a free state , the right Of the people to keep and bear arms, Shall not be infringed”….. So how about that well regulated militia part? We have More more guns per capita than just about anywhere in the world and more death by guns than anywhere else in the world per capita. Somehow more guns just doesn’t seem to be a solution, otherwise we would be in pretty good shape about now.
I just read his charges and the story on KRON4. No accusations of sales or charges for sales of illegal firearms…he just pissed off his soon to be ex wife …
He lives in the wrong state to enjoy a firearm hobby…
He should have taken his safe when he left the house. He knew what was in there, and he elected to leave it there, and subject to search. His ignorance is beyond sympathy.
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