Last week, I wrote this story about Harry Rady, the son of La Jolla billionaire philanthropist Ernest Rady. Harry Rady had just pleaded guilty to receiving firearms without a license. He had stockpiled a cache of weapons, some of which had been bought illegally in Arizona by his friend Jason Bornholdt.
Bornholdt pleaded guilty this morning to charges related to that gun purchase.
Rady said he had bought the guns to protect his family. Earlier this year, Ernest Rady and his wife and housekeeper were the victims of a home invasion at their home in La Jolla Shores. The Radys and the housekeeper were tied up in an upstairs bedroom while the intruder looked through their house for valuables.
Harry Rady’s attorney told me his client had bought several weapons to place in gun safes around his estate in La Jolla.
Bornholdt’s attorney told me his client — a friend of Rady’s — had traveled to Arizona on behalf of Rady to purchase several firearms, some of which are illegal in California.
Bornholdt, was investigated by agents at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after he bought weapons at an Arizona gun store. An Arizona detective noticed that Bornholdt had listed a San Diego number as his contact number and contacted ATF in San Diego, who carried out a surveillance mission.
The ATF agents later raided Rady’s La Jolla mansion where they found an arsenal of weapons, including the guns Bornholdt had purchased for Rady from Arizona.
Today, Bornholdt pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of firearms without a license. As part of the plea agreement, Bornholdt also agreed to forfeit 26 other firearms and a 2004 Chevy Silverado truck.
Bornholdt will be sentenced Nov. 5. He faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.