AUBURN, Calif. -- Law enforcement officials seized machine guns and other illegal military-style weapons from a group of 'survivalists,' including a reserve sheriff's deputy.
A raid of homes and businesses by Placer County sheriff's deputies has already resulted in the arrests of four people in Auburn, Roseville and Foresthill in the Sierra foothills on illegal weapons charges.
Sheriff Don Nunes Wednesday said he expects more arrests in the case.
The arrests followed a two-month undercover operation conducted by the sheriff's department, the FBI, the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau and the state Department of Justice, Nunes said.
Nunes said the weapons were 'worth several thousands of dollars' and 'had no other purpose except to kill people.' He added, 'These automatic weapons are illegal in California even to kill or hunt animals.'
He declined to describe in detail exactly what was seized by officers.
Nunes said one of the men arrested, Daniel N. Joseph, 34, of Roseville, was a reserve deputy in the sheriff's department.
Also arrested Monday night were Joye DeBord, 30, and her husband, Curtis, 29, of Foresthill. Mrs. DeBord was reported to own Placer Gun Sales, where her husband worked and which advertised 'sale of firearms by appointment,' according to court records.
Placer County officials also arrested Malcolm Curtis II,. 35, of Auburn, who was identified as a partner in 'Survival Resources Unlimited.' The business, which Curtis ran out of his auto shop, was 'oriented toward needs of survivalists' groups,' the court records said.
The court affadivits, furnished by an undercover informant, showed that Curtis advertised in the summer edition of 'The Shotgun News.'
The records also included documents about survival groups which keep guns hidden in or near their homes in preparation for nuclear war or other catastrophes.
