Woodlake man found with unserialized 3D printed weapons
A Tulare County man was found with an arsenal of 3D printed weapons inside his Woodlake home, according to Visalia police
The Tulare County Agencies Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Task Force (TARGET) started investigating the 43-year-old suspect after they were told the man was using a 3D printer to build AR-15 auto sears and make firearms. An auto sear allows for fully automatic firing, which is mostly prohibited in California.
After an extensive investigation, the task force got a search warrant for Thomas Antonowicz Jr.'s Woodlake home.
Last week, task force members led a multi-agency operation that included the Visalia Police Department's Narcotics Unit and the Bureau of Firearms Fresno Regional Office, along with the Tulare County Sheriff's Department SWAT Team.
Several weapons were found while searching Antonowicz's home, including:
4 silencers
59 AR-15 drop-in auto sears (3D printed)
3 assault weapon pistols
3 privately manufactured and unserialized handguns
2 assault weapon rifles
7 privately manufactured AR-15 lower receivers
6 privately manufactured unserialized and unfinished AR-15 frames
15 unfinished handgun frames
7 handgun slide/barrel kits
9 AR-15 upper receivers
2 drum magazines
3D printer with numerous rolls of filament
7 laptops
1 pound of cannabis
It's illegal to make or assemble certain classes of firearms, including assault weapons and machine guns in California. State law also generally prohibits the manufacture of unsafe handguns. A self-made or assembled handgun must meet certain design features.
Antonowicz was arrested on suspicion of possession and the manufacturing of machine guns, possession of unregistered assault weapons, manufacturing assault weapons, possession of silencers, manufacturing of unsafe handguns, and manufacturing of unserialized handguns.
He was booked into the Tulare County Pretrial Detention Facility.
If anyone has information regarding the illegal possession or manufacturing of firearms, please contact the TARGET Task Force Tip line at 713-4738.
3D printed guns
The world of 3D printed weapons is relatively new to law enforcement and regulations of self manufactured weapons can be complex.
Californians who do want to make firearms — including through the use of 3D printing — are required to ensure that the firearm is legal and registered.
A self-manufactured semiautomatic handgun, even if temporarily altered for single-shot firing, must include the following safety and security features:
The firearm must incorporate a manually-operated safety device.
The firearm must meet California’s drop safety requirements.
The firearm must be able to imprint certain identifying information on two locations on each cartridge case when fired.
Some exceptions apply to these rules.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco is responsible for enforcing federal laws on the illegal sale, possession, and use of firearms, including firearms made using a 3D printer.
As of 2021, ATF had not identified firearm 3D printing as a priority area to monitor. The agency also reported that only a limited number of 3D printed firearms had been used in crimes.
However, the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that ATF doesn't have standardized procedures to identify and evaluate 3D printed firearms, or guidance to ensure it is proactively monitoring this evolving technology.
"3D printed firearms present unique law enforcement challenges," U.S. Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in 2021. "They can be undetectable to metal detectors and lack serial numbers, rendering them effectively untraceable."
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Woodlake man found with 3D printed weapons
