Police seize 27 guns from Utahn accused of threatening Airbnb guests

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SALT LAKE CITY — A Garfield County man who police say threatened to use a shotgun if anyone from a neighboring vacation rental home wandered onto his property was arrested for investigation of numerous weapons charges.

Michael John Rudolph, 69, owns property in Hatch, along U.S. 89, according to a police affidavit.

On Sunday, Garfield County sheriff's deputies were contacted by the owner of an Airbnb next to Rudolph’s property who reported “Rudolph is constantly bothering the customers of the Airbnb. Rudolph explained to me he meets some of the guests when they trespass on his property with a shotgun,” the affidavit states.

Police went to Rudolph’s property and talked to him. But that seemed to agitate him, the affidavit states.

On Monday, the Airbnb owner called deputies again stating that Rudolph had called him “and got very upset over the police being at his home” and said that if any of his guests came onto his property “they would be met with a shotgun,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators conducted a background check on Rudolph and learned he was convicted of two felonies in 1983 and served time in the California State Prison, the affidavit states.

Based on that, deputies returned to Rudolph’s property on Thursday with a search warrant. Investigators seized 27 firearms, marijuana and a large amount of bags, presumably used to vacuum-seal the marijuana, according to the affidavit.

Rudolph was booked into the Garfield County Jail for investigation of 27 counts of being a restricted person in possession of a firearm, marijuana distribution and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3mAReYD