Long Beach police detectives serving a search warrant at a home on East 23rd Street seized 30 firearms, body armor, and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, arresting a 34-year-old man accused of assembling and selling illegally manufactured weapons out of the house. Roger Alexander Triplett is now being held without bail on suspicion of 11 felony and misdemeanor counts tied to the discovery.
According to NBC Los Angeles, detectives recovered 30 firearms from the home, along with the body armor and ammunition cache. Police say Triplett purchased firearm parts online and assembled the weapons himself, then sold them illegally. The Long Beach Police Department announced the seizure as part of an ongoing crackdown on the possession and sale of illegal firearms.
Triplett was booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and importing a short-barreled rifle. He also faces suspicion of illegal possession of an assault weapon, possession of a firearm silencer, and sale of a large-capacity magazine, per the same report. Additional counts include selling firearms without a license, criminal storage of a firearm, violent felon in possession of body armor, child endangerment, and confining an animal without adequate care.
A Familiar Pattern of Armor and Ghost Guns
The body armor charge against Triplett carries particular weight under California law. Under California Penal Code Section 31360, updated under Assembly Bill 92 in 2023, purchasing, owning, or possessing body armor after a violent felony conviction is a felony punishable by up to three years in state prison, while possession by a person prohibited under California law from possessing a firearm — except a person prohibited under Section 29610 — is a misdemeanor.
If any of the 30 recovered firearms were unserialized, assembled from online parts without going through the state, that would fall under a separate legal framework. Under Penal Code Section 29180(f) and Assembly Bill 1621, enacted in 2022, it is illegal to manufacture or assemble an unserialized firearm; Penal Code Section 23920 addresses knowingly possessing one. The California Department of Justice has credited the statewide ghost gun crackdown with helping drive down illegal firearm recoveries and gun violence, according to an October 2024 department report.
Triplett's case echoes another recent Long Beach raid. In March, gang detectives seized 30 firearms — 12 of them unserialized ghost guns — along with a large stash of ammunition during a search warrant at the home of a 74-year-old resident tied to a shooting investigation, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
Part of a Citywide Enforcement Push
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said detectives recovered numerous weapons that now cannot be used to harm or victimize the community, framing the seizure as part of the department's broader push against illegal firearms. That effort has produced significant numbers in recent years: the department recovered more than 860 firearms citywide in 2024, according to its 3rd Annual Year in Review and Accountability Report.
The department's targeted approach to prohibited possessors is not new. A specialized team formed in 2018 uses court records to identify and track people legally barred from owning firearms, according to the Long Beach Post.
Investigation Ongoing
The Long Beach Police Department identified Martin Wysoki as the societal crimes detective handling the case. Police are urging anyone with information about Triplett or the investigation to contact Detective Wysoki at 562-570-7221.
