A Richmond man, already barred from weapon ownership, has been hit with a staggering 21-count felony rap for housing a veritable armory of illegal artillery including machine guns, homemade bombs, and a mountain of ammo, authorities announced yesterday.
Lawrence Robert Hansen, 68, found himself behind bars after Richmond Police snapped the cuffs on him March 17, acting on an existing warrant and making sure he wouldn't be a free man to enjoy his extensive, prohibited collection of firepower but instead, he's cooling his heels in the clink as he awaits his day in court.
Hansen's legal troubles aren't new; Wired and dangerous, he spat violent threats at medical staff members while seeking treatment at a Walnut Creek clinic between 2022 and 2023, and on one occasion, even showed up with a loaded handgun tucked in his waistband, a detail disclosed when a vigilant clinic staffer raised the red flag, according to details from Contra Costa County's official announcement.
Rolling out the heavy artillery, a team from the Contra Costa Anti-Violence Support Effort Task Force joined forces with California's Bureau of Firearms and Contra Costa County Probation Officers to turn Hansen's residence upside down on January 31 and what they unearthed was nothing short of a one-man war chest: they confiscated 11 machine guns, over 130 handguns, 37 rifles, 60 assault rifles, seven shotguns, 3000 large capacity magazines and enough ammo to stage a small coup, this laundry list of lethal gear didn't stop there, they also found inert grenades and even DIY explosives.
Hansen tried to play his get out of jail card by pleading not guilty at his arraignment in Martinez last March 18, but the court had none of it. He's currently being held without a shred of bail at Martinez Detention Facility, with a preliminary hearing that's penciled in for March 27, bright and early at 8:30 am, court-watchers note.
