ATF Seizes Boat in Marina del Rey in Sweeping Raid

Federal authorities seized a boat Wednesday morning in Marina del Rey and arrested nine people wanted in connection with a year-long investigation targeting firearm traffickers in the San Fernando Valley, officials said.

The seizure and arrests were part of Operation Woodchuck, an investigation conducted by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The bureau worked with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Office of Correctional Safety-Special Service Unit and the Los Angeles Police Department during the investigation.

Undercover ATF agents bought stolen firearms, grenades, ammunition, machine guns and silencers from the alleged weapon traffickers and some of those transactions took place aboard a boat in the marina, said Chris Hoffman, an ATF spokesman. Hoffman said that because the boat was used to conduct criminal activity, the ATF can pursue its seizure.

“This is the end result of another grass-roots investigation at which ATF agents excel; a case involving good old-fashioned police work using undercover agents and surveillance resulting in the arrest of career criminals. The strategy of ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division remains one of relentlessly and aggressively pursuing firearms traffickers like these,” said John A. Torres, special agent in charge of the ATF's Los Angeles field office. “Taking 58 firearms off the streets of Los Angeles will have an impact now and in the future.”

Eleven suspects were named in indictments returned last week by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles and authorities set out Wednesday to arrest them. The indictment alleged crimes including conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a license, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an unregistered machine gun, transfer of an unregistered machine gun in violation of the National Firearms Act, distribution of methamphetamine and possession of an unregistered firearm.

The following federal defendants were arrested Wednesday:
    •    David Abbott, 52, Los Angeles;
    •    Anthony R. Campos, 37, Canoga Park;
    •    Arthur Chorny, 41, Studio City;
    •    Drew D. Darchuck, 42, Northridge;
    •    Guillermo R. Navarrete, 35, Northridge;
    •    Manuel Santo, 41, Canoga Park;
    •    Guy F. Smith, 49, Los Angeles;
    •    Mehran Zamany, 46, Woodland Hills.
The following remained fugitives:
    •    Elijah Brown, 38, Los Angeles;
    •    Mitchell D. Knox, 22, Studio City;
    •    Hector Valles, 46, Northridge.

A federal indictment said the boat in Marina del Rey was registered to Chorny and it further stated that Smith provided Darchuck with a Sten 9 mm caliber machine gun with no serial number on July 15, 2010, aboard the boat.

Darchuck allegedly met an undercover ATF agent and an informant the same day aboard the boat and sold the undercover agent the machine gun for $1,500, according to court documents.

Darchuck and Zamany met with the undercover agent and informant on July 29, 2010, at the boat in Marina del Rey and allegedly sold them a U.S. military model M-1 carbine; a .30 caliber rifle; a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun; an Intratec Tec-22 pistol; several .22 caliber pistols, other guns and 327 rounds of ammunition for $7,000, according to court documents.

Other guns, ammunition and four grenades were sold to undercover agents at various locations in the San Fernando Valley.

"ATF put their agents out on the streets of Los Angeles to retrieve these firearms before they could be put in the wrong hands," said Daniel Evanilla, a senior special agent with CDCR-SSU. "I applaud ATF for participation in this dangerous operation, which involved the undercover purchase of firearms—not stolen microwave ovens—and was a very dangerous operation for all involved.”

If convicted of the charges, the defendants face prison sentences ranging from five years to life. A 12th defendant, Claire P. Haviland, 49, of Chatsworth, was charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office on state firearm and narcotic violations and also was arrested Wednesday.

Three more people were arrested Wednesday on unrelated fraud charges and outstanding warrants, Hoffman said. In addition, authorities seized a couple of pounds of marijuana, 4,000 rounds of ammunition and usable methamphetamine, Hoffman said.

In total, undercover agents bought 53 firearms, five were seized during the investigation and another five were confiscated Wednesday, Hoffman said.

The ring operated by having some members steal weapons and ammunition from homes, which were then resold, while others built the machine guns for sale, according to court documents.

"We're hoping some things will be generated from the seizures," Hoffman said. "We want to find out where these guns were coming from."