Decorated ex-Marine arrested with illegal rifle while scouting Trump golf club

Jeanine John Taele, a former Marine who completed combat tours in Iraq (Oct 2008-Mar 2009) and Afghanistan (Jun-Dec 2010), was taken into custody after federal agents spotted him on July 31 walking the grounds of Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, wearing an earpiece and recording security preparations for President Donald Trump's upcoming fundraiser. He returned on Aug 2, asserted he worked for the State Department, and admitted a loaded firearm was in his truck, where deputies also recovered a 9mm pistol, hollow-point rounds, binoculars and a counterfeit security badge.

A subsequent search of his home yielded an illegally modified AR-style rifle, additional weapons, body armor, high-capacity magazines, communications gear and notebooks with concerning notes. He now faces a federal charge of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony punishable by up to ten years, plus state firearms charges. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director Patrick Grandy said the arrest prevented a possible danger to the president, and the investigation continues.