Felon arrested after returning to restaurant to retrieve ghost gun he left behind

ADELANTO, Calif. - A man was arrested in Adelanto Saturday for possession of an illegal firearm, after he returned to the restaurant where he accidentally left the weapon behind, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were called to a restaurant in the 14200 block of U.S. Highway 395 in Adelanto just after 4 a.m. Saturday after workers at the restaurant found a ghost gun that had been left in a booth by a customer.

While the deputy was still at the restaurant, the owner of the gun, Derek Eugene Sampson, came back to get retrieve the weapon. Sampson is a convicted felon, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies, and therefore is not legally allowed to own a weapon. Sampson was arrested for owning the gun, and was found with methamphetamine and ecstasy on him, according to deputies.

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Sampson was booked for possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. He's being held on $50,000 bond.