Santa Rosa man awaiting trial found with drugs, guns, officials say

A Santa Rosa man who was free on bail while awaiting trial for allegedly evading peace officers was arrested this week by Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of 11 felonies including being in possession of a loaded firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and manufacture of an assault weapon, authorities said.

Deputies made contact with Buck Knell Jr. at his Citrine Way home about 2 p.m. Monday during a routine pretrial check. They discovered two loaded handguns and 27.3 grams of methamphetamine packaged for sale in a backpack he was wearing, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Misti Wood said in a news release Wednesday.

Deputies then searched Knell Jr.’s home and found two more guns, Wood said.

She added that authorities seized a short-barreled assault-style rifle and a loaded pistol. Both firearms, as well as one of the handguns were “ghost guns,” Wood said, a term for guns without serial numbers.

As someone who had previously been convicted of a felony, Knell Jr. is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition and subject to search and seizure, Wood said. Information about his previous conviction was not immediately available.

Knell Jr. was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felonies including possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short barrel rifle, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance for sale, and carrying a loaded firearm in public.

He was released Tuesday on $85,000 bail, Wood said.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 707-387-2960 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jeremyhay