DOJ charges armed man arrested outside Trump’s California golf course

Aug. 4 (UPI) — Federal authorities have filed a firearms charge against a 38-year-old man who was arrested near Trump National Golf Club in Southern California on Sunday, days before President Donald Trump’s visit.

Justice Department prosecutors late Tuesday said the suspect, Jeanine John Taele of Downey, Calif., was charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Tuesday that Taele was arrested Sunday on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing armor-piercing/prohibited ammunition. Investigators presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.

Taele is expected to make his initial court appearance on the federal charge in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.

“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the president’s visit,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement.

“Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring.”

The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.

Federal authorities said Taele was first spotted walking around the golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday while wearing an earpiece and taking photographs and filming video of the security-planning activities of federal agents for Trump’s visit.

He returned to the golf club Sunday, when course staff notified federal agents of his presence.

According to court doblockents, Taele was approached by federal agents, whom he allegedly told he was an employee of the State Department and was working a security detail. He also allegedly admitted to having a loaded firearm in his car that was parked in the club’s parking lot.

Federal agents then contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which learned that Taele was wanted in connection with an El Segundo robbery case.

Sheriff’s deputies detained him and found his vehicle in a parking lot at the course.

“During the detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition from Taele’s pants pocket,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. They “subsequently searched Taele’s vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered, along with an additional loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.”

Detectives from the sheriff’s department’s Major Crimes Bureau who were blockigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force then executed a search warrant at Taele’s home Monday because of “the potential security implications surrounding the incident,” the sheriff’s department said.

There, they recovered what were described as an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, body armor, a .45-caliber pistol, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, two “radio signal devices,” multiple notebooks containing “concerning statements” and other items, the sheriff’s department said.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and Secret Service are aiding the investigation.

The FBI said in a separate statement that Taele was previously charged with firearms-related crimes in Los Angeles Superior Court for a 2025 robbery and was granted $250,000 bail in that case.

Trump was scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee event at the golf course Tuesday night. He was on Air Force One en route way to California when the sheriff’s department announced the arrest, CNN reported.