A federal judge ordered the release on Friday of a Las Vegas property manager linked to a suspected biological laboratory, after prosecutors charged him with unlawfully possessing firearms.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah released 55-year-old Ori Solomon on a personal recognizance bond, requiring him to surrender his passport and remain within the continental United States. Solomon must notify the court if he leaves the Las Vegas area.
Police and the FBI searched two homes on Saturday, Jan. 31, including one on Sugar Springs Drive, where Solomon is property manager, uncovering what authorities described as a “biological laboratory” with refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids. Federal documents indicate Solomon lived at one of the homes with three children.
Originally from Israel, Solomon is in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa and prohibited from owning firearms, prosecutors said. During the searches, law enforcement covered weapons found in Solomon’s residence. Documents also note that after his arrest on a state charge, Solomon called a family member from jail asking, “Is there any guns left?”
A subsequent search on Monday resulted in the seizure of numerous firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories, according to federal filings.
Federal prosecutors did not request Solomon’s detention in the gun case, and he does not currently face federal charges related to the suspected bio lab.
Authorities said the lab is related to an incident in California, where infectious agents, including HIV and malaria, were reportedly found. An LLC tied to Solomon’s home matches the name of a company involved in a federal case in California concerning a biological laboratory.
In that California case, a Chinese citizen, David He, faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices. He communicated with Solomon in the month before the Las Vegas raid, though he is not facing charges related to the Las Vegas lab. Samples collected from the Sunrise Manor home are currently undergoing testing.
Solomon faces a state-level charge connected to the Las Vegas raid involving hazardous waste.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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