Photo: Edward Joseph Kolodziej
Ventura County – Anyone who has been convicted of a felony in The State of California is fully aware that terms of parole and probation specifically prohibit such a person from possessing, owning, buying, or transporting firearms and ammunition of any kind.
That message was apparently lost on 35-year-old Simi Valley resident Edward Joseph Kolodziej, who was arrested on the afternoon of September 27th and booked into Ventura County Jail on a variety of weapons charges.
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Kolodziej became the focus of an investigation by the Thousand Oaks Police Department Directed Enforcement Unit and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department’s East County Major Crimes Investigation team following the theft of assorted assault rifle parts from a Simi Valley gun shop retail location. According to VCSD spokesman Deputy Mike Loth, when the theft was reported on August 30th, the responding patrol deputy “was able to identify the theft suspect as Kolodziej.
That investigation led to Kolodziej’s arrest a short time later and his identification as a member of a Conejo Valley criminal street gang. Released on bail, Kolodziej remained on law enforcement’s radar. He was contacted on September 27th “away from his residence,” at which time he was found to be carrying a loaded pistol, along with illegal narcotics. In his vehicle at that time was “an additional loaded semi-automatic handgun located under the driver’s seat.”
With more than enough probably cause to suspect further violations, the TOPD Directed Enforcement Unit was issued a search warrant targeting Kolodziej’s residence. That search lead to the discovery of “five assault weapons, two rifles, one sawed-off shotgun, four handguns, two silencers, eight high-capacity ammunition magazines, and thousands of rounds of live ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds.”
Kolodziej was transported to Ventura County Jail and booked on multiple charges including:
Felon in possession of a firearm
Carrying a concealed firearm
Unlawful transfer of a firearm
Possession of an assault weapon
Possession of a silencer
Manufacturing assault weapons
Possession of armor-piercing ammunition
Street terrorism
Kolodziej remains in custody with his bail posted at $500,000.
Photos: Courtesy VCSD Major Crimes Investigations, Ventura County Jail Booking
