San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's officials reported Tuesday the arrest of a convicted felon who was reportedly found to be in possession of dozens of firearms.
The sheriff's office says detectives served a search warrant at a home on Farousse Way in rural Paso Robles on June 23, 2022. Officials say they found 24 guns, multiple calibers of ammunition, and an improvised explosive device (IED).
Through their investigation and testing of the weapons, sheriff's officials say they were able to identify the suspect as Billy Benjamin Hernandez, 51, of Atascadero.
On June 28, 2023, a year after the initial search, Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of a multitude of charges including being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short-barrel rifle, possession of a machine gun, felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of a destructive device.
His home on Nogales Ave. in Atascadero was also reportedly searched. Sheriff's officials say detectives found additional firearms and Hernandez was charged with several more crimes.
In total, Hernandez faces 68 counts, according to the sheriff's office.
He is in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail.
