A man who possessed what prosecutors described as an "arsenal" of illegal weapons, which police discovered while investigating allegations that his teenage son threatened to shoot up Rancho Bernardo High School, has been sentenced to two years of probation.
Neal James Anders, 47, was convicted by a San Diego jury of nearly three dozen felony and misdemeanor counts related to the manufacture and possession of assault weapons and destructive devices.
San Diego police said that after investigating reports of a verbal threat to commit a school shooting in January of 2024, a gun violence restraining order and search warrant were obtained, leading officers to search Anders' home and a storage unit.
Prosecutors say nearly two dozen unregistered guns were discovered, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition -- including incendiary rounds known as "Dragon's breath" -- and items that can be used to assemble firearms.
Deputy District Attorney Spencer Sharpe sought a prison term of four years, but wrote in sentencing documents that Anders faced a much higher maximum exposure of between 27 and 29 years.
The prosecutor said Anders claimed through his trial testimony that he was unaware of California's assault weapons laws despite being an admitted firearms enthusiast who assembled many of the weapons investigators found.
