SEAL Is Among 4 Arrested in Arms-Trafficking Plot

A Navy SEAL, an El Cajon businessman, a part-time electrician and a San Diego State University student were charged Tuesday by federal prosecutors with trafficking in illegal firearms and ammunition, including automatic weapons, assault rifles and grenades.

Federal agents with search warrants Monday seized a virtual arsenal, officials said at a press conference Tuesday at which 35 big guns, including an M-60 machine gun, were displayed. Agents found rifles, shotguns, plastic explosives, grenade launchers and flares--all for sale, officials said Tuesday.

All four men pleaded not guilty Tuesday at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Barry Ted Moskowitz, who set bail. A fifth man, a Marine whose identity has not been released, is in Okinawa, agents said.

“Our concern is that we have people dealing in automatic weapons,” said James Stathes, the agent in charge of the San Diego office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “They don’t care where they’re going. They just want a profit.”

Stathes said he did not know the value of the firearms and ammunition seized, or their destinations. He said the arrests resulted from a yearlong undercover investigation run by ATF, the Naval Investigative Service and San Diego Sheriff’s deputies.

Moskowitz set the highest bail, $270,000, for Gordon H. Dawson, 50, of El Cajon, the businessman. He was charged with six felony firearm counts, federal prosecutors said.

Agents found an automatic weapon, eight assault rifles, six grenades and two flares at Dawson’s house, Stathes said.

Bail was set at $200,000 for Peter Michael Scherer, 23, of Alpine, the student charged with 12 counts. At his house, agents seized two sawed-off shotguns, four assault rifles, grenades, flares and ammunition, Stathes said.

Bail was set at $150,000 for William L. Schmeck, 27, of Santee, the Navy SEAL, charged with six counts. Agents did not disclose whether they found any weapons or ammunition at his home.

“We’re not trying to put a bad rap on the SEALs,” Stathes said. “It just so happens that in this case he is a SEAL,” a sea-air-land commando.

Moskowitz set $100,000 bail for Herschi Perry Excell, 23, of Vista, the part-time electrician, who was armed with a fully loaded 9-millimeter pistol when arrested in the parking lot of a Del Mar restaurant, Stathes said. Excell faces three counts, prosecutors said.

At Excell’s house, agents seized four automatic weapons, four blocks of plastic explosives, two sawed-off shotguns, a grenade launcher and miscellaneous parts, Stathes said.

At the house of the Marine, agents found nine assault rifles, grenades and ammunition, Stathes said. It is uncertain when he will be arrested.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Stathes said. “He’s on an island.”