A Lake Havasu man is set to face sentencing next month in a case that allegedly started with an accidental shooting and found 18 firearms and a large amount of cocaine in his home.
Under an agreement with the Mojave County prosecutor’s office, 32-year-old Adam R. Lang pleaded guilty Friday to charges of attempted drug possession for sale. He was originally arrested in February on felony charges including theft, possession of drugs for sale, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon in a drug offense, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
The agreement stipulates that Lang will be sentenced to 100 days in prison, must serve a period of supervised probation, and surrender all firearms seized by the Lake Havasu Police Department as a result of his arrest.
(figuratively) shoot yourself in the leg
The incident began on January 14 when the Lake Havasu Police Department was summoned to the Havasu Regional Medical Center regarding the shooting. Police said Lang was being treated in a hospital emergency room at the time when he accidentally shot himself.
According to the report, Lang told police that he tried to buy firearms from a stranger in front of his house on Chemewevi Boulevard. In his initial statement, Lang allegedly told investigators that the seller removed the gun’s magazine and racked the slide in an attempt to secure the gun. Mr. Lang reported that his hand hit the trigger of the weapon when the seller handed him the weapon. A bullet in the room was reportedly fired and hit Lang.
Lang reportedly told police that the seller had recovered the weapons and fled the scene. Mr. Lang called for help and his family took him to the hospital.
Officers searched the scene of the shooting, but police said they found no evidence of blood, bullet fragments, shell casings or damage outside Lang’s residence.
Police tried to contact Adam’s family at the mansion but were unsuccessful. Investigators contacted Adam’s wife by phone and soon arrived on the scene with another family member.
When questioned by investigators, one of the witnesses is said to have told police that Mr. Lang’s statement was false and that there was no secondary party to Mr. Lang’s accidental shooting. And the shooting itself may not have happened in front of Lang’s house, but in his garage.
Witnesses said Adam and his family initially misled police because the weapon itself may have been illegal.
The weapon involved in Lang’s accidental shooting was believed to be a Kimber 9mm pistol, which may have been the least dangerous weapon in Lang’s residence.
Police raided Lang’s home on January 14. Investigators found an unregistered fully automatic MAC 10 gun lying on the garage floor and a drop of blood at the scene. A 9mm cartridge was found on the floor approximately five feet from the weapon. Officers obtained a warrant to search Lang’s residence that morning.
During the search, officers found a plate in Lang’s master bedroom closet containing what appeared to be a large amount of cocaine, credit cards and straws, according to investigative sources. Officers accessed a large gun safe in Lang’s garage and a search revealed three quart-sized plastic bags containing more cocaine.
Police found 18 weapons at Lang’s home during the search, according to the report, as well as multiple drug paraphernalia throughout the residence. One of the guns allegedly found during the police search turned out to be stolen.
Officers also found several gang-related items and materials supporting the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, police said.
As officers searched his home, Lang was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for further treatment of his injuries.
Investigators have repeatedly attempted to contact Lang since January 25, police said. Lang’s witnesses and family members reported not seeing him since the shooting.
Lang eventually surrendered himself to the Lake Havasu City Police Department on February 13 and was taken into custody. Lang, on the advice of his attorney, did not answer detective questions in the case.
As of Tuesday, Mr. Lang was free on $20,000 bail.
He is scheduled to appear in the Mojave High Court on June 8 for the verdict and sentencing of the case.