Warrant issued after drug, gun suspect fails to show in court

A 41-year-old man charged with illegally possessing multiple firearms and narcotics failed to appear in court today and had a warrant issued for his arrest.

Brady Allen Leatherman, 41, of Cathedral City, was charged with 16 felony counts of possession of an undetectable firearm, and one count each of possession of controlled substances while armed, being a convicted felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm, possession of any short-barreled rifle or shotgun, and possession of ammunition, according to court records.   

He was released on a $25,000 bond on June 8 and was slated to be arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Tuesday morning, but failed to appear in court, officials said.

Co-defendant Austin Neville Edwards, 23, of Palm Desert, pleaded not guilty on June 10 to two felony counts of possession of an undetectable firearm and one count of possession of controlled substances while armed, according to court records.

He was released on a $30,000 bond two days after he pleaded and is due back in court Sept. 14.  

Deputies stopped Edwards on Highway 111 and Miles Avenue in Indian Wells on June 7 and executed a warrant to search his vehicle, where they recovered a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun without a serial number, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Edwards was arrested at the scene.  

Deputies then searched his home in the 48000 block of Desert Flower Drive in Palm Desert and allegedly found cocaine, Xanax pills, a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, authorities said.

Authorities also searched another vehicle that belonged to Edwards and allegedly found a 9 mm AR pistol.  

At 11:15 p.m. that same day, deputies searched the 29000 block of Avenida La Paz in Cathedral City in continuance of the investigation, and found Leatherman in possession of methamphetamine, 11 rifles, eight handguns and a shotgun, according to authorities.

A total of 24 firearms were confiscated in the investigation -- 19 of which didn't have serial numbers, authorities said.   

Edwards has four other active cases with weapons-related charges, according to court records. Leatherman has multiple prior convictions for possession of controlled substances and weapons-related charges.