Police Say AK-47 Was at Rapper’s Home

Firearms including an AK-47 assault rifle and a stolen shotgun were recovered from the rented Chatsworth 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 arrest early on the Fourth of July, his lawyer said.

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

Police said the trio will be arraigned in Van Nuys Municipal Court on Monday, when they are expected to ask for reduced bail.

“I spoke to my client this morning,” said Howse’s attorney, John K. Pierson. “He’s in great spirits.” 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, Pierson said.

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 the AK-47 with a large-capacity magazine and several shotguns, one of which had been listed as stolen. Police would not say exactly 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 1991 California law banning the possession of military-style arms.