Couple arrested after illegal gun factory discovered inside Santa Rosa home

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- A Santa Rosa couple has been arrested on gun charges after a police raid of their home uncovered a cache of illegal ghost guns and a 3-D computer set-up to manufacture high-capacity magazines, firearms and firearm parts.

Santa Rosa police said 31-year-old Benjamin Tran and 40-year-old Elizabeth Gordon were taken into custody Tuesday evening. Their arrests came after property crimes detectives developed leads about a suspected local firearms trafficker importing illegal firearms parts from outside the United States.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Tran's Summercreek Drive residence. Upon arrival, they located Tran walking his dog outside the home and immediately detained him.

A short time later, Gordon was arrested when she arrived home. Officers found a loaded semi-automatic firearm concealed in her purse.

Inside the home, they discovered a 3-D printer used to manufacture weapons along with 13 firearms, 10 of which were illegally possessed based on California gun laws. Many handguns were ghost guns lacking identifying serial numbers.

Detectives also seized a Glock switch, which converts a handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. Additionally, detectives seized a silencer, molds & templates for manufacturing firearms.

Tran was booked on suspicion of seven felonies, including possession of a machine gun, an assault weapon (three counts), a silencer, and short-barreled rifles (two counts); being a felon and narcotic addict with a firearm, manufacturing an assault weapon (three counts), and manufacturing high-capacity magazines (three counts).

Gordon was booked on suspicion of three felonies, including carrying a loaded and concealed firearm and being a felon and narcotic addict with a firearm.