Police Find Assault Rifle at Rapper’s Residence

Firearms including an AK-47 assault rifle and a stolen shotgun were recovered from the rented home of a Grammy-winning rapper during his arrest on suspicion of possessing explosives this weekend, Los Angeles police said Saturday.

Stanley Howse, 24, a founding member of the rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, remained in custody Saturday at the LAPD’s Devonshire station in lieu of $500,000 bail after his Fourth of July arrest, his lawyer said.

Also in custody on an explosives charge and unrelated traffic warrant was Howse’s brother-in-law, 19-year-old Jamartik Cole. A third man, Jamal Smith, 18, was taken into custody at Howse’s home because of an outstanding Juvenile Court warrant, police said.

Police said Howse--also known as Flesh-N-Bone--and Cole will be arraigned Monday in Van Nuys Municipal Court; they are expected to ask for a reduced bail.

“I spoke to my client this morning; he’s in great spirits,” said Howse’s attorney, John K. Pierson. Howse also was adamant that the materials seized from his home were not as dangerous as police were portraying and consisted of four M-80 fireworks.

But Pierson’s account differed from that of police, who said their search of the $600,000 Spanish-style residence turned up “a homemade, improvised explosive device,” and other weapons including an AK-47 with a large-capacity magazine, and several shotguns, one of which had been listed as stolen. Police would not say how many shotguns they found.

Police said Saturday that they had yet to determine whether the assault rifle found in Howse’s home was illegal under the 1989 California law banning the possession of military-style arms.

Residents who share the quiet western San Fernando Valley neighborhood with the rapper said they were unnerved by the discovery of weapons at the home.

“The fact that these guys wear bullet-proof vests as stated by their attorney is not at all comforting to members of the community,” one man said, asking not to be named. “It makes us think this East-West rapper war could be brought to Chatsworth.”

The man was also critical of the group’s attorney for suggesting neighborhood complaints about noise and gunshots emanating from Howse’s home were based on race.

“A lot of neighbors are upset at the rapper’s attorney,” he said. “It’s the actions of the rapper and his entourage, not that they happen to be black.”

Howse’s attorney, meanwhile, said that detectives indicated to him that they would reduce the bail for his client “significantly” on Monday.

“We will file a motion to reduce bail if it’s not done voluntarily,” Pierson said. “But I’m highly confident the bail will be reduced significantly by a judge.”

He added that he expects Howse to be back at work in his studio by late next week.