SAN DIEGO — The son of former San Diego County Republican Party chair Tony Krvaric pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony count of possessing an illegal assault weapon.
Victor Krvaric, 24, was arrested last week on suspicion of the illegal weapons possession, according to San Diego County sheriff's officials, after a search warrant was served at the Krvaric family's home.
The search warrant's affidavit remains sealed, but the publicly available portion revealed it was written by a San Diego Sheriff peace officer, who is a member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force "domestic terrorism squad."
In the warrant, the judge allowed officers to search the Krvaric family home in Scripps Ranch, a vehicle registered to Victor Krvaric, and the family business in Rancho Bernardo, where both the father and son worked.
Deputy District Attorney Carlos Campbell told reporters the illegal weapon was an assault rifle, registered to Victor Krvaric. "It had a modified upper receiver. It was too short under law as well as it did not have a bullet button, and I think it had a pistol grip," said Campbell.
Krvaric remains out of custody on $25,000 bail following Thursday's court hearing and faces up to three years in state prison if convicted of the assault weapon possession charge.
Shortly after his arrest, Tony Krvaric issued a statement that read, "Our family is going through a difficult time and ask that our privacy be respected. As a father, I wish that the children of former public figures could experience life privately, like everyone else."
Krvaric's father served as the county's Republican Party chair for 14 years between 2007 and 2021.
Victor Krvaric made headlines two years ago when he was accused of trying to join a white supremacist hate group while he was serving as a Marine Corps reservist, leading to an investigation by military officials. The investigation found that he had engaged in unspecified misconduct unrelated to the hate group allegations, KPBS reported, and he was administratively separated from the Marine Corps.