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Homeless Felon Had Submachine Guns at L.A.-Area Encampment: Cops

Richard Cunningham, 59, was arrested for "numerous weapons violations" after the officers discovered the guns in Harbor City.
Image: Weapons cache
Police say this cache of weapons was found at a homeless encampment in Harbor City, California.Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

A homeless man was found with a cache of fully-operational submachine guns, handguns and ammunition stashed at a Los Angeles-area encampment, officials said Wednesday.

Richard Cunningham, 59, was arrested for "numerous weapons violations" after the officers discovered the guns in Harbor City, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Image: Weapons cache
Police say this cache of weapons was found at a homeless encampment in Harbor City, California.Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Cunningham, a convicted felon, is accused of illegally possessing what appeared to be two World War II-era submachine guns, which police described as "fully operational."

Officers also found four handguns, two makeshift silencers and "numerous rounds of ammunition," the sheriff's department said.

The firearms were uncovered Saturday night after two deputies discovered the homeless encampment on private property during a routine patrol, officials said.

Cunningham was arraigned on Tuesday and was being held at Carson Sheriff’s Station in lieu of $166,500 bail. He will appear in court again at a later date.