21 Mar Richmond Man Charged With Having More Than 200 Illegal Guns, Million Rounds of Ammo

Richmond police say they found this among a large collection of guns and ammo in a man’s home in January. The man was arrested Sunday. (California Attorney General’s Office via Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged a Richmond man with 21 counts for allegedly possessing a large cache of more than 200 guns and approximately one million rounds of ammunition and homemade explosives.

Lawrence Robert Hansen, 68, is in custody after he was arrested on an outstanding warrant on Sunday by Richmond police.
Hansen is listed on the state’s Armed and Prohibited Persons System, which tracks individuals who are barred from owning or possessing firearms.

In 2022 and 2023, Hansen allegedly made several violent firearm-related threats to medical staff at a Walnut Creek clinic while seeking treatment.

Staff members reported those threats to Walnut Creek police on Sept. 18, 2023.

In a separate case, Hansen was transported to a hospital in Walnut Creek on Sept. 26 for a medical issue. During an examination, a staff member said that Hansen had a handgun (later determined to be loaded) in his waistband area. The weapon was taken from Hansen and police were informed. Because of the legal prohibition against Hansen possessing firearms, as well as alleged threats made to medical employees, law enforcement authorities served a warrant at Hansen’s home on Jan. 31.

Officers found 11 machine guns, more than 130 handguns, 37 rifles, 60 assault rifles, seven shotguns, 3,000 large-capacity magazines, several inert grenades, homemade explosives, incendiary ammunition, and around a million rounds of ammunition.

Hansen was arraigned Monday in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. He entered a plea of not guilty and is being held without bail in the Martinez Detention Facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27.

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