Pleading Not Guilty, Ex-Firefighter Felon Faces Heat

A former firefighter was arrested on June 14th after 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 16 firearms were found in San Mateo. John Fotinos, an ex-firefighter recently pleaded not guilty for 18 counts of weapons cache in his Pacifica storage unit. The San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies were the first to discover his horde of firearms.

San Mateo County District Attorney’s statement

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, in an official statement said that the accused pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts regarding weapon stashing. John Fotinos, a former employee of the Newark Fire Department was convicted in 2007 for keeping the cash he made after selling a colleague’s personal truck. Following this conviction, he was not entitled to own firearms. Wagstaffe also mentioned that the accused has not disclosed reasons for possession of the firearms.

The District Attorney said that although a person can choose to collect guns, 10,000 rounds of ammunition was too substantial a number to store at home. Feeling unsafe, he also stated that he would not want someone like John Fotinos as his neighbor.

The Sheriff’s Office received tip off

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe mentioned that the Sheriff’s Office received a tip off regarding the ammunition. After this, a search was carried out in Fotinos’ self owned unit at Lighthouse Point Self Storage and Half Moon Bay home. Fotinos also currently faces charges regarding his divorce that took place in 2011, at which point he had been found lying about documents related to his income.

Apart from these two charges, Fotinos also faces charges for keeping the sale money after selling a colleague’s personal truck. He has allegedly kept $7,000 from the transaction.

Christopher Morales is an experienced San Francisco Criminal Lawyer. For expert advice from a San Francisco Three Strikes Lawyer for repeated offenses, contact us.