Chuck Daft
VENTURA — Reinforcing the notion that the sale of high-value controlled substances may be an activity exposing those engaged in such a commercial enterprise to unfathomable risks not commonly associated with any other entrepreneurial endeavor was the April 25th arrest of a suspect in possession of not only merchantable cocaine, but a veritable arsenal of dangerous weapons.
It all began at approximately 8:00 p.m. when Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Deputies assigned to the West County Street Narcotics Unit, working in concert with the Ventura County Sheriff Narcotic Interdiction Team, served a search warrant on the residence of 45-year-old Ventura resident Chuck Daft.
What police seized
According to VCSD spokesman Sgt. Guy Moody, deputies struck paydirt once inside the home where they discovered “cocaine, evidence of cocaine sales, and a sum of U.S. currency believed to be proceeds of cocaine sales.”
Then, once the controlled substances were brought under control, deputies discovered “an extremely large quantity of firearms and ammunition,” including 61 handguns, 14 rifles, shotguns, and assault weapons, as well as an undisclosed amount of ammunition for those weapons.
As it happens, however, deputies also discovered that at the time of the search, Daft was “a licensed firearms dealer.” While the firearms were seized along with the cocaine, when he was transported to Ventura County Jail, he was booked only on the narcotics violations and not on any weapons charges.
Once booked, Daft promptly posted $50,000 bail and was released pending arraignment on the controlled substance allegations.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
