BELLAIRE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – An Antrim County man will spend more than four years in prison for possessing illegal firearms and pipe bombs.
The United States Department of Justice said 57-year-old Wayne VanOchten of Mancelona possessed a large cache of “military-style” firearms and equipment, and three pipe bombs.
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Kalkaska County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested VanOchten in August 2022 when they responded to his home for reports of “machine gun” fire. When deputies arrived, VanOchten answered the door with a loaded handgun. He admitted that he was shooting a modified AR-15 into his backyard.
Deputies obtained a search warrant and found the cache of weapons that included semi-automatic rifles, pistols, a 40mm projectile launcher, and three pipe bombs. Among the equipment was a “militia battle manual” book.
VanOchten plead guilty in June.
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