What began as an investigation into an Arizona business that was accused of getting its electricity through an illegal connection has snowballed based on what was found during a raid last week.
The Hole in One RV, Boat & Toy Storage, in the unincorporated area of Waddell, northwest of Phoenix, had been suspected of illegally connecting to the Arizona Public Service power grid, according to a news release from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
The release said APS had been monitoring the situation for over a year.
As a result of what investigators found, Laura Swink, 61, and her son, Steven Swink II, 35, were arrested on felony theft of service charges, criminal damage and obtaining utilities fraudulently.
But the story goes deeper. While investigators were at the business, they found a mammoth underground bunker.
WOW: #Arizona mom, son accused of stealing power for underground bunker where deputies found guns, meth, cocaine, mushrooms, pills, $240,000 in cash and $700,000 in gold/silver >> https://t.co/33wEyUmOWo pic.twitter.com/3uF5wGfSN7
— KOLDNews (@KOLDNews) October 28, 2022
“The bunker consisted of several conex and semi truck boxes stacked together to construct a three level building equipped with scissor jack elevators and tunnel ladder systems,” the release stated.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Unit has arrested two suspects at an RV storage facility where weapons and drugs were discovered in an underground bunker.
Read the full story here: https://t.co/qbCHCN51Tp pic.twitter.com/bShsuo1Hqu
— Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (@mcsoaz) October 28, 2022
The bunker’s contents included “several chemical containers, bags of unknown powder and cylinders of compressed gases, requiring the assistance of MCSO’s Special Investigations Division,” the release said.
Deputies had the bunker inspected to ensure it was safe before they examined its contents.
Guns and illegal drugs were in open view and were seized, the release stated.
Deputies discover underground bunker filled with guns, drugs at Waddell RV facility – Arizona’s Family https://t.co/uBgMC8wGFI via @GoogleNews
— Walter RD Butler Clemmons (@walterclemmons) October 29, 2022
The haul included 36 firearms, one pound of methamphetamine, one ounce of cocaine, half an ounce of psilocybin mushrooms, 200 narcotic pill capsules, $240,000 in cash and $700,000 in gold and silver, according to the release.
The release said the investigation into the items found underground will continue.
When the sheriff’s office posted the news on its Facebook page, some wondered about the fuss.
“Didn’t know it was illegal to have a fall out shelter..if the guns were legal they shouldn’t have been bothered. My step dad was a preper. Every thing he had was legal. Just because someone has lots of guns doesn’t mean they have bad plans..since these people had drugs they probably were criminals so they deserved to be caught,” a poster using the name Charles Smith wrote.
“What kind of drugs? Did they have warrants? Were they criminals?” asked a poster using the name Austin Douglass.
“Being vague probably means that they had a stash of emergency medicines and weapons in their bug out shelter and you’re trying to justify the reason for raiding and seizing their property.. I sure hope they weren’t law abiding citizens that were prepping for the collapse of civilization and the local government just took away everything they had and ruined their lives.”
