Shasta County authorities began investigating a suspected illegal marijuana farm but ended up making an even more disturbing discovery: a cache of illegal guns and a secret underground bunker hidden at the bottom of a 100-foot-long tunnel on a MAGA activist’s property.
Michael Jay Kamfolt, 40, was arrested Jan. 20 after a search warrant was executed at his home in Anderson that uncovered the bunker and seized an array of illegally held weapons, including three AR-15-style assault rifles, a short-barreled shotgun and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition. He is no longer in custody, according to county records.
Among the weapons seized in Anderson, California, were a short-barreled shotgun, three AR-15-style assault rifles (one with an obliterated serial number) and two allegedly stolen firearms (one in 2016 and the other in 1978). (California Highway Patrol)
“This operation went well beyond illegal cultivation,” John Pinoli, chief of the CHP’s Northern Division, said in a statement. “The hidden bunkers and shocking stash of illegal firearms and ammunition highlight the threat to public safety.”
Canforte is a well-known conservative activist who has attended protests and county Board of Supervisors meetings and repeatedly raised concerns about voting fraud, Shasta Scout reported. Shasta County has become a hotbed of hard-right governance and election denialism in the Trump era of American politics, with a solid conservative majority taking control of the county council in 2022.
Read more: This red California county roiled by far-right insurgents faces more trouble as election approaches
Kamfolt is a strong advocate of county supervisor and MAGA supporter Kevin Crye. According to “Shasta Scout”, in May 2025, when confronting protesters outside Crye’s business, Canforte said that he was Crye’s “good friend” and would “do whatever it takes to help him.”
Klay, a Trump election denier, survived a recall effort in March 2024 by just 50 votes. The effort comes after he successfully led counties to abandon Dominion voting machines in favor of hand counting.
In a Facebook video posted the day after Camforte’s arrest, Clay said: “I noticed today that a supporter, I would even say a friend of mine, was arrested last night and my heart is truly broken.”
Clay said he was caught off guard by the news but urged people “not to rush to judgment.” “Remember, we are innocent until proven guilty,” he said.
The CHP initially received a tip in December about a suspected illegal marijuana grow on Kamfolt’s property in Anderson, a small city 10 miles south of Reading.
While searching the Northern California property, police discovered an underground bunker accessible through a 100-foot-long culvert. (California Highway Patrol)
Officers then obtained a search warrant and conducted a flight over the area. They continued their investigation for a month before searching Kamfolt’s property on December 20, when they discovered the bunker was equipped with all the supplies needed to grow marijuana, including electricity, ventilation and a concrete floor with a built-in drainage system.
The sprawling secret cave, located at the base of a 100-foot-long drainage pipe, also features a home gym, armchairs and a TV. Wall decorations include a Bennington flag, one of various historical American flags carried by supporters of President Trump during the Jan. 6 riots.
Police seized 13 firearms, four soft ballistic vests and 30 high-capacity magazines at the property. Two of the guns were reported stolen, one in 2016 and the other in 1978, according to the CHP.
Canforte was arrested on suspicion of a host of weapons-related misdemeanors and felonies. These include converting firearms into machine guns, creating ghost guns, possessing stolen firearms and possessing armor-piercing ammunition.
The CHP’s investigation remains ongoing and, as of now, the case has not been filed with the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, according to a CHP spokesperson.
Canforte was no longer in custody Monday, according to Shasta County inmate records. The Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when he would be released.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
