Sheriff's officials say men with guns planned marijuana heist

Seven men with an illegal arsenal of guns had plans for a home invasion-style marijuana rip off in Lake County, Sonoma County sheriff’s officials said Monday.

Instead, the seven remained in custody and appeared in court to answer charges related to their capture with 7 guns last week, said sheriff’s Sgt. Glenn Lawrence.

Monday morning, five of the suspects entered not guilty pleas to weapons and conspiracy charges.

Two others appeared in court last week.

All seven men will appear together in court Thursday to confirm their attorneys’ readiness for a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 9.

Details of the case continue to emerge following the suspects arrest Tuesday after an anonymous caller tipped law enforcement officials to potential trouble.

The caller said the men would be driving into Sonoma County in a Chevy Tahoe SUV and a pickup, carrying numerous illegal assault weapons.

Detectives learned the men had gone armed to Lake County to meet someone, Lawrence said. The meeting didn’t occur and they were returning to Sonoma County when they were caught, Lawrence said.

Deputies spotted the vehicles heading south on Highway 101 in Santa Rosa and tried to stop them.

The drivers didn’t stop, but led deputies on a short chase that ended in south Santa Rosa near the Myrtlewood Drive home of two of the men.

In the vehicles, deputies found one loaded pistol, four assault rifles, one loaded shotgun, a short-barreled shotgun with a pistol grip, six loaded assault-rifle magazines and two types of shotgun ammunition, sheriff’s officials said.

At least one of the guns was stolen. Lawrence said detectives Monday were trying to trace a history of the remaining guns to determine where they came from.

The investigation indicated the men apparently had plans of conducting a marijuana robbery at a residence in the rural county, Lawrence said.

A search of the Myrtlewood Drive home turned up about five pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Lawrence said.

Elezandro Medina Soloreo, 23, Margarito Batista Guzman, 42, Jose Luis Sosa-Lopez, 21, Ismael Sosa-Lopez, 25, all of Santa Rosa, and Juan Alejandro Burmudez Orenelas, 23, of San Rafael, all entered not guilty pleas Monday morning to weapons and conspiracy charges after being appointed attorneys at public expense.

Everado Flores Lopez, 28, and Francisco Javier Reyes, 20, entered not guilty pleas on Wednesday to the same charges and additional weapons charges.

Resident Jose Flores Lopez, 30, who was at the Myrtlewood Drive home, was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale.

All of the men remain in jail without bail.