ATF Arrests 4 Men on Weapons Charges

Capping a 19-month investigation, federal authorities Wednesday arrested four San Gabriel Valley men on suspicion of selling sawed-off shotguns, pen guns, silencers and dynamite to undercover agents.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and several local police agencies made the arrests after serving search warrants at an Azusa machine shop and the San Dimas apartment of one of the suspects, Special Agent John D’Angelo said.

Buddy Cook, 45, of Azusa, Shelba Pettey, 51, of San Dimas, and Donald Sharp, 56, of Baldwin Park, were arrested on suspicion of possessing unregistered sawed-off shotguns, while Daniel Bustamante, 34, of West Covina, was arrested on suspicion of possessing an unregistered destructive device, D’Angelo said. Two other suspects remain at large, he said.

The investigation began after informants alleged that Cook was illegally manufacturing and selling silencers and pen guns from the machine shop, D’Angelo said.

Undercover agents acquired a total of 29 silencers, five pen guns, two sawed-off shotguns, one sawed-off rifle and 23 other firearms, he said.