5 Things To Know About Armed Suspect Arrested In Connection With Trump Visit

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — A Downey man arrested at Trump National Golf Club ahead of President Donald Trump's visit Tuesday has been charged in federal court, with prosecutors revealing new details about the investigation.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He's expected to make his initial appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles while separately facing state charges stemming from the same incident.

Here are five things to know about the case:

1. Federal agents first encountered him before the arrest

According to the federal complaint, agents conducting a security assessment at Trump National Golf Club first observed Taele on July 31, several days before President Trump's scheduled visit. Investigators allege he walked throughout the property wearing an earpiece while taking photographs and videos of federal agents' security-planning activities before leaving in a pickup truck.

2. Prosecutors say he claimed to be part of a security detail

The complaint alleges Taele returned to the golf club Sunday, when golf course staff alerted federal agents. According to court documents, Taele approached agents and claimed he worked for the U.S. State Department and was at the property for a security detail. Prosecutors allege he also told agents he had a loaded firearm inside his vehicle.

3. Deputies found ammunition, a handgun and a badge

After federal agents contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies learned Taele was wanted in connection with a robbery under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department, according to the complaint. Deputies said they recovered a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition from his pocket before finding a loaded 9mm pistol, binoculars and a badge reading "security protection agent" inside his pickup truck.

4. Investigators say he acknowledged owning the firearms

According to the complaint, Taele told investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights that he owned the loaded 9mm pistol recovered from his pickup truck and two additional firearms at his Downey home. Authorities later executed a search warrant at the residence, where they recovered what they described as an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, a 1911 .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, an earpiece, two radio signal devices and multiple notebooks containing what investigators described as "concerning statements."

5. The federal charge focuses on one modified rifle

The federal complaint alleges Taele replaced the rifle's original barrel with a 10-inch barrel. According to the supporting affidavit, an ATF agent determined the barrel measured less than the 16-inch minimum required under federal law for that type of firearm, while a records check found no registration for the weapon. Those allegations form the basis for the federal charge of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

Federal authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.