SAN ANTONIO – Brad Simpson is facing a federal felony charge for illegally owning a firearm, according to court records obtained by KSAT Investigates on Tuesday evening.
Investigators discovered a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to Simpson in his home, the affidavit said.
According to an affidavit obtained by KSAT, investigators searched Simpson’s house in Olmos Park on October 9 after executing a search warrant related to the disappearance of his wife Suzanne Clark Simpson.
On October 10, a family member told law enforcement Simpson had several firearms they wanted to surrender.
The family member grabbed several guns from a locked room in Simpson’s home and turned them over to the Olmos Park Police Department, records show.
According to the affidavit, several silencers were inside that room. Those were registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records (NFRTR).
However, the short-barreled rifle (SBR) that was surrendered to police was not registered with the NFRTR, according to the affidavit.
Owning an SBR that is not registered with the feds is illegal, according to court records.
Simpson faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the affidavit.
The firearm is a Grand Power Stribog SB9 A3, 9x19 mm caliber rifle, manufactured in Slovakia, the affidavit said.
This charge is the reason Brad Simpson has a federal detainer on his release from the Bexar County Jail.
That detainer is why Simpson’s bond reduction hearing for Tuesday morning was canceled, KSAT confirmed Monday.
Simpson, 53, is being held in the Bexar County jail on bonds totaling $3 million after being arrested in Kendall County Wednesday on charges of family violence and unlawful restraint.
He is being questioned in the disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Clark Simpson, a mother of four and realtor who was last seen Sunday, Oct. 6.
Simpson was scheduled for a bond hearing Tuesday morning at the jail’s auxiliary court, records show. A judge could have lowered his bond at the hearing.
Even if Simpson were to post bond, he would possibly be transferred into the custody of the U.S. Marshals because of the hold.
A federal hold, or detainer, is a request from a federal agency to keep an inmate in custody or to notify the agency before his or her release.
A U.S. Marshals spokesperson told KSAT Sunday that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will have to finish its investigation before marshals intervene in Simpson’s custody.
ATF confirmed with KSAT that there is a hold on Brad Simpson and they’re assisting other agencies.
Federal court records show no pending federal charges against Simpson. ATF investigates federal crimes including the unlawful use or theft of firearms.
He was transferred to the Bexar County jail on Thursday.
What we know
Olmos Park Police Chief Fidel Villegas provided additional details on the disappearance of Suzanne Clark Simpson during a Thursday afternoon news conference.
During the news conference, Villegas shared a photo of a woman who DPS and Olmos Park believe is Suzanne Clark Simpson.
The picture was taken outside The Argyle, a private dinner club in Alamo Heights, Villegas said.
“We’re trying every avenue,” Villegas said. “But in the case that somebody has seen her — and she is in distress. That night, we think she was in distress. She may be somewhere, and we just don’t know about it. It’s very suspicious, though, that, obviously, she’s not going to work, and she’s not checking in on her children. So that’s an obvious problem.”
“But, at the same time, we don’t want to miss an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, this is what she looks like. Maybe somebody out there knows where she is or she’s hiding away or something.’ That’s why we’re showing you the clothing,” Villegas said.
According to Villegas, Brad Simpson continues to be uncooperative with investigators.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a neighbor told police that between 10-11 p.m. Sunday, he heard arguing outside his bedroom window that became louder and “seemed closer to his window.” When the neighbor looked out his window, he saw the Simpsons in a physical altercation, the affidavit states. He said Suzanne Clark Simpson was trying to get away from Brad Simpson as he tried to pull her down. It appeared Brad Simpson “was clearly attempting to keep Ms. Simpson from running away,” the neighbor told authorities, according to the affidavit.
The neighbor told authorities he last saw the couple walking westbound. The neighbor went outside to investigate, and a short time later, he heard two to three screams from a brushy area east of his home, the affidavit states.
About an hour later, the neighbor saw Brad Simpson start his black GMC pickup truck and leave his house. The neighbor told authorities he saw Brad Simpson return one to two hours later.
At some point, Brad Simpson went to his ranch in Bandera County and “appeared to be separating himself from his family,” the affidavit states.
Villegas said authorities are asking for tips about Brad Simpson’s 2019 black GMC Sierra and whether it was seen in a suspicious place on Sunday evening.
Olmos Park police ask for public’s help
If you have any information on Simpson’s whereabouts, contact Olmos police at one of the three following numbers:
- 210-209-2701: Detective Hector Ruiz
- 210-219-2702: Detective Melissa Campbell
- 210-822-2000: Olmos Park Dispatch
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is a long list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page which includes a breakdown of what abuse is, and how it builds gradually.
If you are in crisis, you can:
- call or text 911
- call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
- call the local Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the shelter (Crisis Number: 210-733-8810, Programs and Administration: 210-930-3669)
- call the Bexar County Family Justice Center at 210-631-0100.
