El Dorado sheriff detectives arrest two, seize drugs and weapons including ‘ghost gun’
Narcotics detectives arrested two people, confiscated drugs and seized two loaded guns, including an untraceable “ghost gun,” while serving a search warrant last week at a South Lake Tahoe apartment, sheriff’s officials said.
Daniel Barnhart, 19, and Michelle Kennedy, 18, both of South Lake Tahoe, were arrested Feb. 3 at the apartment complex, according to an El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office news release.
While serving the search warrant as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation, sheriff’s detectives spotted the primary suspect Barnhart in the complex’s public area and detained him. Sheriff’s officials said Barnhart had a loaded 9 mm. handgun with a 30-round magazine in his waistband. The firearm on Barnhart was a “ghost gun,” meaning it had no serial number and is untraceable.
Inside the apartment, detectives found a loaded 9 mm. Uzi gun on a couch in the living room, according to the sheriff’s office. The gun had a loaded large-capacity ammunition magazine.
The detectives also found and seized pills suspected of containing fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid, along with cocaine and a large quantity of psilocybin, sheriff’s officials said. Psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” is a hallucinogenic chemical obtained from certain types of fresh and dried mushrooms, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The detectives also found evidence of drug sales at the apartment including packaging, weight scales, cash and money straps, sheriff’s officials said.
Barnhart and Kennedy were arrested on suspicion of possession of psilocybin for sales, cocaine possession, drug possession while in possession of a loaded gun, maintaining a drug house and criminal conspiracy, according to the sheriff’s office. Barnhart also faces a charge of being armed with a gun during the commission of a felony.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 2:57 PM.
