By Joe Beck
A search warrant inventory of items seized at the house of a Front Royal man on Thanksgiving Day shows pages of guns, ammunition and related items that led to charges being filed against him.
David Anthony Boles, 47, of 271 Wooded Lane was charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon, failure to stop after an accident and possession of marijuana.
Investigators from the Front Royal Police Department and Warren County Sheriff's Office filed the charges after arresting Boles twice in two days. The first time came Wednesday after a hit and run incident and the second time on the day his house was searched by law enforcement officers.
The officers called in Army bomb technicians at one point after discovering what they feared were live explosives in the home. Those items, which were determined to be harmless, are listed in the inventory along with two cannons, small cannon ammunition, 30 guns and part of what authorities have estimated to be a total of 25,000 to 30,000 rounds of ammunition.
Front Royal police Sgt. Jason Ryman said the cannons actually appear to be desk top size mortars. He said investigators are unsure so far whether they were operable.
The list also includes several assault rifles, a bayonet, silencer, gun parts, a document showing denial of the right to carry weapons by state officials, and an application for restoration of rights for a non-violent offender.
The items were found in places throughout the property that included a residence and an out building, according to search warrant documents filed in Warren County Circuit Court.
The seized items were kept on a couch, coffee table, recliner chair, entertainment center, inside a safe, inside a closet and on several other pieces of furniture, according to the document.
A search warrant affidavit signed by Front Royal officer Aaron C. Mariano states that the investigation began with a report of a felony hit and run incident on Wednesday. Police had earlier described a road rage-inspired confrontation between Boles and the driver of another vehicle.
The two vehicles pulled over, and words were exchanged, whereupon Boles tried to hit a passenger in the other vehicle who was standing outside, law enforcement officials said. He missed the passenger, hit the other vehicle and drove off, according to authorities.
Mariano's affidavit states that deputies stopped Boles's vehicle in the area of 6th Street and Washington Avenue where they saw him attempting to hide a smoking device. The law enforcement officers found several ammunition clips and a new box of 9mm ammunition in the vehicle, along with a bag of leafy material that Boles admitted was marijuana, according to the affidavit.
Boles also told police that he was "strapped for cash," the affidavit states.
After checking credit card numbers and a receipt for the box of ammunition, authorities discovered that Boles was a convicted felon, according to the affidavit.
"The driver had numerous convictions for gun violations and admitted to smoking marijuana since he was 16," the affidavit states.
Authorities said Thursday the investigation is continuing. Participating agencies include the Front Royal police, Warren County Sheriff's Office, Virginia State Police, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Warren County Fire and Rescue Services and U.S. Army explosive disposal units.
Local authorities said the case could eventually be transferred to the federal government.
Contact staff writer Joe Beck at 540-465-5137 ext. 142, or jbeck@nvdaily.com