Santa Rosa felon arrested with methamphetamine, loaded 'ghost guns' released the next day
SANTA ROSA -- The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday confirmed a convicted known felon awaiting trial was arrested in his Santa Rosa home Tuesday with multiple "ghost guns" and methamphetamine packaged for sale, but was released on bail the following day.
According to a Facebook post on the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office page Thursday afternoon, 25-year-old Santa Rosa resident Buck Knell Jr. was contacted by property/narcotics detectives contacted at his home on the 2100 block of Citrine Way at approximately 2 p.m. Tuesday. The sheriff's office said Knell Jr. was on pre-trial release from a pending case in which he was accused of evading peace officers and being a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Detectives found two loaded handguns in the backpack Knell Jr. was wearing as well as approximately 27.3 grams of methamphetamine packaged for sale. His home is located within 1,000 feet of a school, authorities said. Detectives searched his home and found two more guns: a short-barreled, assault-style rifle and a loaded pistol. The rifle and two of the pistols were unserialized firearms -- commonly known as "ghost guns" -- that had been manufactured by Knell Jr.
He was booked into jail for 11 felonies including being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance while armed, being a felon in possession of ammunition, possessing a loaded firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, manufacturing an assault weapon, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short-barrel rifle, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance for sale, carrying a loaded firearm in public and unlawful firearm possession.
Despite being on pre-trial release for his earlier pending case and being a convicted felon, Knell Jr. was out on $85,000 bail the next day, authorities said.
