LOS ANGELES
A San Fernando Valley man associated with a racially motivated violent extremist group was sentenced Friday to four years and nine months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition
He also illegally possessed eight machine gun conversion devices that allowed semi-automatic firearms to function as machine guns.
U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton sentenced Ryan Scott Bradford, 35, of Reseda.
Bradford pleaded guilty on January 11 to one count of felon in possession of ammunition and one count of possession of machine guns.
During a search of Bradford’s residence on July 27, 2023, law enforcement officers with the FBI, the DEA and the LAPD recovered 116 rounds of various ammunition – which Bradford is prohibited from possessing due to a 2012 burglary conviction – as well as two machinegun conversion devices for a semiautomatic AR-15-type firearm, four “chip” style machinegun conversion devices for a Glock-type firearm, and two “switch” style machinegun conversion devices for a Glock-type firearm.
When authorities searched the residence, they also recovered two 3D printers, one of which was emblazoned with swastikas, body armor with SS bolts, and glass containers containing explosive components.
In sentencing papers filed in court, prosecutors argued that Bradford “has been involved in manufacturing guns for years” and that the number of guns he “was manufacturing was not insubstantial and he was working to arm himself as well as others.”
“This violent extremist not only made numerous threats to kill Jews, but also was amassing weapons capable of carrying out acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Hateful behavior of this sort has no place in our society, and we will continue to use all the tools available to protect the community from violence driven by racially motivated ideology.”
“Mr. Bradford, a felon, was calling for the genocide of Jews and offering to manufacture 3D weapons while illegally possessing firearms and ammunition,” said Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed last year, Bradford was affiliated with the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, a racially motivated violent extremist group.
According to the affidavit, Bradford – using online usernames referencing the Peckerwoods – used messaging applications to post racist remarks against Jewish people, including calling for mass murder and genocide of Jews.
Bradford also posted links and instruction manuals on Telegram concerning hand grenades, biological warfare, and the “Aryan Revolution,” at times offering to make firearms and firearm parts for others using 3-D printers.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema El-Amamy of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.