Spokane man indicted in illegal weapons case

A federal grand jury in Seattle has charged a 65-year-old Spokane man in a 117-count indictment alleging he illegally stored explosives and possessed dozens of illegal machine guns and military-only weapons, including plastic explosives and grenade launchers.

Ronald Struve was arrested earlier this month after the contents of a Bellevue storage shed were scheduled for auction because Struve had failed to pay the storage fee. The new owner found boxes of exotic weapons and shells. Veteran agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said they were stunned at the quantity and type of weapons recovered.

The ATF continues its investigation into the origins of some of the ordnance, which appeared to be stolen from the military, agents said. Struve told agents he was preparing for Armageddon, according to court documents. Prosecutors, in asking that Struve be held pending trial, said agents found anti-government materials during several searches they conducted in Bellevue, Lynnwood and Spokane.

Struve remains in custody.