Indiana man James Wesley Howell has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison after California police found him with weapons on his way to the 2016 LA Pride parade.
On Wednesday (July 25), 22-year-old Howell pleaded no contest to one count each of unlawful assault weapon activity, possession of a destructive device on a public road or highway, and possession of a destructive device.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Howell was arrested shortly before 6 a.m. on June 12, 2016, by Santa Monica police in the 1700 block of 11th Street, near Olympic Boulevard.
Police had stopped Howell because it was only a day after the dreadful shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando Florida, and security for LA Pride had been increased.
When they approached Howell’s white Acura sedan with an Indiana license plate, he was quietly sitting inside. He then told them he was heading to the parade.
According to ABC7, police then searched the car and found three assault rifles, high-capacity magazines and ammunition, and a five-gallon bucket with chemicals that could have been used to make an explosive. Not only that, but Howell also had a buck knife, a Taser, a black hood, handcuffs, and a security badge.
The day after the above mentioned charges were filed, news came that Howell was charged with sexually molesting a 12-year-old girl in Indiana. It’s currently believed that Howell fled from the state after he learned that he was being investigated for the crime.
There’s currently no word on how that particular case is going.
h/t: NBC Los Angeles, ABC7
