The Antelope Valley Times

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Guns, rifles, body armor seized in Palmdale raid, felon arrested

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[Image via LASD]
PALMDALE – Multiple guns, assault rifles, hundreds of rounds of live ammunition and body armor were seized Thursday morning, when authorities served a search warrant at a felon’s Palmdale home.

The raid happened around 6:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, on the 40000 Block of Villa Moura Drive, and it was conducted by deputies from the Lancaster Sheriff Station’s Lancaster Community Appreciation Program (LANCAP), according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

“Through investigative sources, information revealed that a convicted felon was residing in a home and was in possession of firearms,” the news release states.

“Nine guns, including four rifles, three of which were illegal, and five handguns were confiscated. Hundreds of rounds of live ammunition, body armor and multiple high capacity magazines were also seized,” the news release states.

The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Anthony Cheval, sheriff’s officials said.

Cheval was transported to Lancaster Sheriff’s Station and booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of firearms, possession of illegal assault weapons and several other weapons violations. He is being held in lieu of $105,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s news release.

This marks the LANCAP team’s 30th firearm confiscated this year, sheriff’s officials said.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lancaster Station at 661-948-8466.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

65 comments for "Guns, rifles, body armor seized in Palmdale raid, felon arrested"

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  2. Wow Tim… very good post. I am myself a felon.. convicted of “Possession of a Deadly Weapon” when I was 19 or 20. I had a lead pipe in my back pocket while drinking a 40oz beer with a friend at the laundrymat.. late at night… not the best life choice but I was young and stupid. But still.. now I am a felon for life.. for a crime that wouldn’t even be illegal in most states… you would think it would take something serious to take away your right to own a firearm… but no, not in California… just have the wrong thing in your pocket.

  3. It don’t matter- It saddens me that guns exist, but they do – And some people find guns fascinating.. they just can’t own one gun.. they need 30.. and more powerful guns… rifles with bump stocks… give me more guns! Bigger and more powerful! Hey its just a hobby folks! Until I snap one day, and then my hobby becomes a killing spree at wal-mart….

        • It was on Bill Maher’s show a year or two ago.

          He showed a photo of a fat slob lying across a bed in his underwear with assault rifles and other guns gathered about him. That picture captured the love of weapons by some people.

          Was that you in the photo, Alby? Sorry to make fun.

          The last movie I saw was Metropolis during its first run.

          • I’m sure he looked way better than you two.

            You 2 are missing the ‘funny’ gene. Lame, lame, lame replies are your forte Alexis and Alby.

          • So those with lots of guns and ammo are called “ammosexuals”. What does that make those with lots of movies or lots of pets… or lots of cars???

          • Alby says
            November 14, 2017 at 10:16 pm
            So those with lots of guns and ammo are called “ammosexuals”. What does that make those with lots of movies or lots of pets… or lots of cars???

            People.

          • Unless you’re cramming gun barrels where the sun don’t shine, I don’t see how guns and ammo go together with sexuality. Deaf ears and arthritis is all you get. Where’s the sexuality in that? Movies and cars on the other hand……

          • I see Bill Maher’s “ammosexuals” joke has kept Alby awake for several nights now trying for the BIG comeback line.

            Ain’t gonna happen.

          • Anyone that watches, and actually quotes Bill Maher is like those that follow the Kardashians. Can’t think for themselves. He’s the biggest whiner of them all. He’s the left of center, like Fox News is the right of center. Neither tells the truth. It’s all about revenue.

          • Is Bill Maher where you got your information about Republicans being responsible for the Uranium deal? That didn’t even have a little kernel of truth.

    • Why would you snap at a walmart. Good prices. Friendly faces. If it weren’t for guns, you’d see indigenous morons with bow and arrows, knives, boiling tar, and ape like complexes. Guns are amazing. They humble the savage and let’s them know that they can be smitten from far away. And if it weren’t for the good guys with guns, more felons would be stalking up.

    • I’d take a b.s. ticket from a Lancaster cop any day over letting a felon obtain a sophisticated arsenal. If guns didn’t exist we would still have bow and arrows, knives, boiling tar and indegenous morons with a very ape like complex. It’s amazing how a gun can humble a savage, considering that they can be smitten from far away. Last thing we need is guns being purchased illegally by the wrong peeps that have an eye out for walmart. I mean hell, what is wrong with walmart. Good prices, friendly faces. Cmon.

  4. Anthony Cheval, Director of Operations at OPSEC. He has been doing this for nineteen plus years; trained, and holds certifications in several areas, including baton, weapons, and arrest techniques. All of this happening while being a felon. Not to mention the very low bail amount. I have seen so many of these raids come to nothing, and a table full of confiscated weapons for the photo-op.

    • Can’t somebody just make a call to verify things? Know what I hate about this board? You can be Tim Scott one day and Alexis the next day – normal forum rules don’t apply here, you can change your name every time you post and you can’t edit anything once it’s posted. I wish this were like a normal forum where you can’t just post under a new name to make your own point.

      • You are so right! I really like you a lot! Everything you say is so true! Will you marry me? I wish all forum posters were like you! Can you send me a PM? (like this board would have that as well… oops I mean… aw crud) :)

  6. CHP is keeping there own child porn officer a secret where is his pic. And is he getting paid still the thin blue line what a bunch of crap

    • A secret? They arrested him, named him and did a press release. I don’t see the booking photo of Cheval here and he’s already a known felon.

      • Yes ur right but he needs his pic. Shown that will never happen because he is in law enforcement they have perks

        • The booking photo of any arrestee is available to the public and media, including law enforcement officers. No perks involved you knucklehead!

  7. So what was his original felony conviction for? Armed robbery or writing bad checks?

    If the former, fine. There must be hundreds of felony offenses that have nothing to do with violence or firearms. I never understood why a RIGHT such as the 2nd Amendment can be suspended unless there is a direct link to suspending such right.

    • No matter what the original conviction was for, we as a society have established a policy of making life for the felon as difficult and miserable as possible. We deny them jobs. We deny them opportunities of all kinds. We allow ordinary citizens to abuse them freely, under the ‘if there’s a fight the felon is assumed at fault and will be greatly punished, so they can’t fight back’ plan. Since our policy is to do whatever we can to make them desperate, of course we can’t allow them to be armed, even if it does seem like they should have the right.

  8. Why is everyone calling him a felon??? Smh! Article states “suspicion” of being a felon… This world is ready to crucify without the facts!
    It’s interesting to me, that the Cheif of Operations for a Security company and who teaches gun safety in our community (I’m sure he was Live scanned for his position). Why did Media leave this out??? They know Mr. Chavel, he’s done lots of work for the AV Press… This is media disgrace at it’s best! #TeamChavel

    • TeamChavel you can’t even spell his name right. So I’m going to go out on a limb and ask you, if you say he’s not a felon, then why has he done time in the state penitentiary Twice?

      Let’s hear the excuses now TeamCheval!

  9. “Live ammunition”??? What’s the difference between “live ammunition” and “dead ammunition”? The writer is sensationalizing things by adding that adjective. Ammunition is ammunition. No need to describe it as “live”!
    Nice guy or not, he is a felon, and it is not legal to own or possess a firearm if he has a felony conviction.

    • I’d be willing to bet that the sensationalized term “live ammunition” was directly lifted from the LASD press release. Thoughtlessly? Probably. But not with any particular intent by the writer of the article.

      Thanks for the interesting thought though. I hadn’t ever considered the pointlessness of that term.

      • Wouldn’t a spent bullet like they find at crime scenes be ‘non-live ammunition’ as opposed to a bullet that hasn’t been fired from a gun yet? Just a guess.

        • Hmmmmm. That may be the point. Ammunition that isn’t “live” could include “spent” ammunition, as you suggest, and would probably also include bullets, casings, and powder that someone who does their own loading might have. That wouldn’t be “live” either, but would count as ammunition for legal purposes, I think.

          • Someone should be asking more about this. If this is the same Anthony Cheval that is the president of ops sec security there are some deeper questions.
            1. If he is a felon how did he acquire the weapons.
            2. Is opsec a state licensed security firm? If so how did that happen.
            3. Did he have a “guard card” if so how did he obtain it.

  10. This is crazy, he is a well respected professional in the community and a great guy. Don’t judge someone from their past. The media is ridiculous! He is a educator and teaches gun safety for goodness sake. Completely unbelievable…smh

    • He may very well be a good guy but he’s a felon and he’s repeatedly breaking the law. He’s either buying these off somebody without doing the DOJ paperwork or he’s having somebody else buy them for him.

      What possible reason could this man have for owning body armor (also illegal for a felon to own)? Many of the magazines and rifles are also illegal for anybody to own, let alone a felon. I can see that the bulletproof vest has some sort of UNITED STATES FUGITIVE RECOVERY INVESTIGATOR on the back, so he’s obviously some type of wannabe cop.

      If this guy is truly a nice upstanding individual, there are ways to clean up your record and restore your gun rights. He obviously didn’t do that and was also doing something that put him on the deputies radar and he wasn’t using these for some time of homeowner self defense.

    • @ Brit… I’m glad this guy was a well respected professional and great guy in the community and personally I’m proud that he turned his life around after his conviction. However, he still is a convicted felon and irresponsible for not pursuing post-conviction relief. The ONLY way he’d be allowed restoration of firearms rights, upon federal approval, is to specified offenders who have obtained a Certificate of Rehabilitation if granted a full and unconditional Governor’s Pardon, unless the conviction was for a felony involving the use of a dangerous weapon. (Penal Code 4852.17.)

      Law enforcement can charge him with whatever violations of law they see fit, but the ultimate decision on the final charges lay in the District Attorney’s hands.

      In addition Brit, its unfortunate that people label ones with a criminal as ex-cons, convicts etc. just as I have been many times on this site and my reply has always been; “We’re all one bad choice away from having a criminal record.” We’re all sinners whether criminal or non-criminal or Jesus wouldn’t have died on the cross.

  12. I know many of you have your opinions.. and that’s what they are “opinions” and I respect that. However, not everything put in the media is actual and factual… Remember that, when you are passing judgement. If you read the article correctly, you will note that it was stated 3 of the 9 guns were illegal… Hmm.. if he’s a felon ALL guns would be illegal correct? And wouldn’t his job of 20+ years (Cheif of Operations of a Security Co.) Have an issue with a felon??? Let that marinate a minute. No, reason for me to dissect this article however, I do know Anthony very well… He is a wonderful person… This is just an attack of the enemy.. and he will not win! I stand firm in my faith and believe that all this is going to turn around in Anthony’s favor. We love you Anthony!!!
    Lady A

  13. Not every felon is a dangerous felon, there are different types of felonies. And sadly there are people who make mistakes and do their time, get out and feel too free to do as they desire. Unfortunately for them they still need to abide by the law of being convicted of a felony.

  14. Know the person before you judge. To start he isn’t a danger to everyone and “They” aren’t all what the perception is. The statement was true “start collecting.” Everyone that collects guns isn’t a danger. This is a good dude I know that personally.

    • Sorry man, but felons need to collect stamps, or coins, or classic rock albums…not arsenals.

      The thing that bothers me is that if this guy wasn’t a felon then a lot of people would be saying “Well, yeah, he’s equipped better than an infantryman in the US Army, but why would we worry about that?” Personally, I see no reason for people who may decide that life isn’t worth living to have the option to take half a hundred on their way out.

    • He is a FELON, he cannot have a gun, but their little minds can’t resist the power to kill so easily and the big ego it gives them, And then one gun gets boring so they need another, then another and another and then one day someone makes them angry and they end up using one (or more) of their guns. You do watch the news lately right? If you know him, ask him why can’t find a new hobby and something else for his life to revolve around.

      • First of all , how can you say “they can’t resist the urge to kill” as if all felons are violent or murderers ? He’s never murdered anyone and he collects them for protection and to prepare for when this country goes to [removed]. You’re ignorant .

      • Article clearly says “booked on “suspicion” of being a felon. Never states he “is” a felon. Mr. Chavel is well known in the community. He teaches gun safety and is the Cheif of Operations for a security company, (which wasn’t stated in the article) for 20+ years he’s helped protect our community.. now he’s suddenly a danger to it, stop it…Are you wondering how he obtained such a job with a felony???
        The media is something terrible… But, it’s their job to have the best story, otherwise it wouldn’t make the news.
        Anthony Cheval is a wonderful person, those that know him would agree. He would give you the shirt off his back.
        FYI he is no longer detained and that bail amount in the article… Hmm, not the case. Although, it saddens me greatly to see Anthony depicted like this in the media, myself and many other members of this community are Team Chavel…

        • So if I get caught with 30 images of child porn I can just say Oh that’s not for my use, I like to teach “child porn safety” – Sorry, I am not buying it. The man has an unhealthy fascination with guns, just like all the killers in the news lately. “teaching gun safety” is just an excuse he uses so he does not look like a gun nut.

          • Absolutely Shannon. You can’t kill random assortments of people if you become suicidal and all you have to work with is child porn. But a suicidal narcissist with a gun collection is apparently capable of entering the ‘body count sweepstakes’ at any time.

          • Shannon, it’s not suspicion of being a felon. He’s a felon.

            The “felon with a gun” is the basis of the charge but regardless of his felony, he’s picking up new ones for the weapons he has. Your lefty legislators have made many of those weapons he has a felony to possess.

        • Oh c’mon Shannon. The article doesn’t say “suspicion of being a felon,” it says “suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm.” Being a felon isn’t a crime. Being a felon in possession of a firearm is a crime. They wouldn’t charge him with felon in possession unless they KNEW he was a felon, because that’s very easy for them to check.

          Again, being a felon isn’t a crime. It doesn’t keep you from being a wonderful person. It doesn’t mean they won’t ‘give you the shirt off their back’ or otherwise be a well known and respected member of the community. It doesn’t even stop you from starting a security company, though it would prevent you from carrying a gun on the job.

          Being a felon does mean that, by law, you are not allowed to “possess” a firearm, which leads to the question; what constitutes ‘possession’? Obviously, if a felon is the registered owner and carrying a gun they certainly are ‘in possession.’ There is a long accepted standard that if the felon lives with the registered owner of the guns and they are kept in the home then ‘access’ meets the legal standard of ‘possession.’ While I don’t necessarily agree with that standard it’s not a winnable fight in my opinion.

          I know a guy who was convicted on a felon in possession charge because he was a passenger in a car and the registered owner/driver of the car had guns in the trunk when they were pulled over. To me, that was a terrible overreach by the court because it stretched ‘access’ way too far, however his case was a terrible case to appeal. Both the driver and passenger were convicted of other crimes, in which they did both use the guns, so it was clear that the owner of the car was not reliable to keep the felon from accessing the trunk. It would be good to find a case where a felon passenger was charged while innocently riding in a car with a legal gun owner who had their guns in the trunk to eliminate that stretching of ‘access.’

          But none of that relates to this case, at least as presented here. Since it takes law enforcement about a minute to either prove or disprove ‘felon’ I doubt they are making a mistake on that. The warrant apparently was issued for HIS home, and a claim of ” stored in my own home doesn’t qualify as possession” is REALLY hard to establish. If the guns were in a gun safe, the registered owner of the guns will testify that they are the ONLY person with access to the safe, and a jury can be convinced that such testimony is true, then maybe, but in my opinion that jury does not exist.

          Bottom line, he’s probably screwed.

        • Article clearly states suspiscion of a felon in possession of a fire arm, not suspicion of being a felon.

  15. Why can’t they charge him with a count of “being a felon in possession of a firearm” for every gun he was found with? He will just take a plea and be out in a year or 2 and start collecting guns again and be a danger to everyone, they just can’t help themselves.

    • I’m pretty sure that they can. I know they can under federal laws, but I’m too lazy to look up the state statute to say for sure.