Bail Is Increased in Weapons Case : Courts: Prosecutors say Joseph Yohanna, accused of owning an arsenal, is a danger. His attorney says he didn’t plan to sell or use the firearms.
A federal judge Monday increased bail to $350,000 for Joseph Yohanna, the Valencia man accused of keeping an arsenal of firearms and military explosives in his home.
U.S. District Court Judge Lourdes G. Baird’s decision was an apparent compromise of claims by prosecutors that Yohanna was a danger to the community and should not be allowed to post bail, and by Yohanna’s attorney that he simply collected the weapons and wasn’t going to sell or use them.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Dec. 29, 1993 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday December 29, 1993 Valley Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Column 5 Metro Desk 1 inches; 30 words Type of Material: Correction
Attorney--The Times has misidentified the attorney for Joseph Yohanna, a Santa Clarita resident accused of keeping an arsenal of firearms and military explosives in his home. Yohanna’s attorney is Angelo Oh.
“The government sought detention,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Tayback said. “The court didn’t think it met its burden of proof.”
Bail was originally set at $250,000 following Yohanna’s arrest Dec. 21. He is accused of possessing three unregistered machine guns--an Uzi, MAC-10 and CAR-15--and may face additional charges stemming from the other items seized at his home by federal agents.
Agents reported confiscating eight claymore mines containing 25 to 30 pounds of C-4 plastic explosives, two incendiary devices, eight silencers, nine handguns, two shotguns and one rifle during the search. Also found were another pound of C-4 explosives, a quarter-pound block of TNT, 40 feet of detonating cord and 13 fuse igniters.
The discovery of explosives in the home led to the evacuation of 32 homes in the neighborhood.
Prosecutors argued unsuccessfully Monday that Yohanna should not be allowed to post bail because it is unclear why he had the weapons.
“It’s not consistent with being a collector. He didn’t have them displayed,” Tayback said. “And besides, you don’t collect plastic explosives.”
Tayback said agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms who searched Yohanna’s home are unsure if he has additional firearms in other locations.
Kim Yuri, Yohanna’s attorney, said in a hearing Thursday that Yohanna obtained the items 10 years ago while in the U.S. Army and had no intention of selling or using them.
She did not return phone calls to her office Monday.
Yohanna served as an infantryman in the Army from 1980 to 1983.
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