Pot investigation ends in bust of illegal weapons

A Sutter County man arrested Friday "had the most firepower I've seen in a single location," a veteran law enforcement official said.

The "appropriately named" Roger Eugene Gunn, 41, had 21 guns, many of them illegal assault weapons, when officers went to his home in the 1700 block of Edwards Lane to check on a marijuana garden, said Mike Hudson, commander of the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement team.

The legality of the 48 pot plants, which Gunn said he was growing for medical marijuana patients, remained in question Friday, but he was arrested on suspicion of possessing assault weapons and was being booked Friday evening into Sutter County Jail.

Assault weapons found in a gun safe in Gunn's "very immaculate, masculine garage," which also contained two hotrods, included an Uzi machine pistol, two Tech-9 machine pistols, an AR-15, and AK-47, a Mini-14, a shotgun with a detachable 5-round magazine and a .556 mm "command" weapon. Gunn had two 50-round drum magazines for the AR-15, said Hudson.

All the guns were newer and well-maintained. The safe also contained a military smoke grenade, he said.

Gunn initially said a friend brought the safe to his home recently but admitted ownership after his wife told officers he had owned it for many years. Gunn opened the locked safe for officers, Hudson said.

Gunn was arrested on a single count of possessing assault weapons but the Sutter County District Attorney's Office may file additional charges, he said.

It was not clear why Gunn owned so many guns or where he obtained them. His criminal record includes only two misdemeanor convictions, Hudson said.

If Gunn bought the assault weapons at gun shows in Nevada, for example, and brought them to California, that could result in added felony charges, he said.