UPDATE (5 p.m.) - There were some tense moments in three San Luis Obispo County neighborhoods early Tuesday morning, as the FBI conducted raids to search for illegal drugs and weapons.
Neighbors say it was scary and confusing.
"I saw the lights outside of my window so I thought they were telling me to come out of the house and I didn't know what to do but they repeated it over and over again and then I saw a lot of commotion over there, people going in and out, lots of police cars," said a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous.
In the more than 40-page complaint detailing the purpose behind the raids, the FBI investigator assigned to the case explains how the FBI paid a Confidential Human Source (CHS) with a criminal past to buy drugs from two suspects.
Between July 31 and September 10, the FBI says this person purchased more than 100 grams of methamphetamine and an AR-15 style firearm from Marc Kenneth Wolf, 49.
The FBI says Gary Allan Wallravin, 64, also sold the CHS approximately 63 grams of methamphetamine over two different visits in July.
All of the encounters with both Wallravin and Wolf were reportedly captured on video and audio recordings.
In one exchange, the CHS says to Wolf, "I got three ($300) on me right now." Then asks, "What can I get in clear (methamphetamine)?" According to the FBI complaint, Wolf replies, "I can get you a zip (ounce)."
The complaint says Wolf then left to get drugs hidden inside a Chia Pet box.
In total, three homes were searched Tuesday - Wolf's house on Vega Avenue in Atascadero, Wallravin's house on K Street in Santa Margarita, and a third person's house on Vine Street in Paso Robles where the FBI says Wolf obtained some of the meth and the gun.
The investigator says the FBI had to conduct these searches at night due to concerns over officer safety, writing, "If law enforcement were to execute this warrant during daytime, it would be very difficult to evade detection, and thus pose a risk to officer safety."
The FBI investigator who filed the search warrant affidavit is part of the Central Coast Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from federal, state, and local agencies who are assigned to investigate gang-related crimes and large-scale drug trafficking matters.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol reportedly assisted the FBI with their searches Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says both Wallravin and Wolf made initial court appearances Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles.
Wallravin is still detained while Wolf's bond was set at $25,000 and he will be electronically monitored.
Wallravin is set to return to court for arraignment on November 7. Wolf has a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 22.
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UPDATE (11:55 a.m.) - The FBI says two suspected drug traffickers were arrested Tuesday morning after warrants were served throughout San Luis Obispo County.
One arrest was made in Atascadero and another in Santa Margarita, officials say. Those locations along with a home in Paso Robles were all searched, according to documents.
The investigation is drug and firearm-related and ongoing with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol, according to the FBI.
The suspects, identified as Gary Allan Wallravin, 64, of Santa Margarita and Marc Kenneth Wolf, 49, of Atascadero could appear in court in Southern California as early as Tuesday afternoon.
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UPDATE (11:30 a.m.) - The FBI says arrests were made in connection with the investigation.
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(8:59 a.m.) - Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were on scene in Paso Robles Tuesday morning.
Law enforcement activity was reported along the 1800 block of Vine Street before 6 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., the scene had been cleared.
Authorities, citing the ongoing investigation, are being tight-lipped about the operation so far, only telling KSBY News a federal warrant was being served.
The FBI says the Paso Robles court-authorized search is among others searches being conducted Tuesday in San Luis Obispo County.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
