Santa Monica Felon Indicted On Firearms Charges, ATF Says

SANTA MONICA, CA — A convicted felon was indicted Friday on gun-related charges after he shot into his neighbor’s backyard, according to officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles Field Division.

Jason Scott Walsh, 32, of Santa Monica, was indicted for being a felon in possession of ammunition, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a firearm without a serial number.

Walsh’s neighbor heard “popping” sounds throughout the night on Jan. 9, according to the federal complaint. The neighbor, who was having a gathering in his backyard with eight guests, including children, noticed a hole had been shot through his garage, as stated in the federal complaint. Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) responded and officers discovered a bullet on the garage floor. While on scene, SMPD also heard what sounded like suppressed gunfire coming from Walsh’s residence.

SMPD obtained and executed a search warrant at Walsh’s residence. Police went inside the house and seized a loaded, short-barreled, AR-type rifle bearing no serial number; two loaded, semi-automatic Polymer80 9mm caliber firearms bearing no serial numbers, one with an attached silencer; additional suspected silencers; firearm magazines; an ammunition reloading device; and approximately 367 rounds of ammunition and 58 9mm caliber cartridge casings, according to court documents.

Walsh was previously convicted of a felony charge for making terrorist threats in April 2014. As a result, he is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

SMPD arrested Walsh on Feb. 8 and he has been in federal custody since that time.

Walsh is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on Feb. 26 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. If he is convicted of the charges in the indictment, Walsh would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the three felony counts in the indictment, according to ATF.