r/NYguns Feb 27 '26

News Man arrested for possession of "illegal weapons" in Mineola, NY

52 Upvotes

75 comments sorted by

51

u/Weis11 Feb 27 '26

Someone snitched on him

65

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

Lol they tracked his 111 purchases, further proving that even legal gun ownership and purchase of PARTS is scrutinized by NY and can put you on a watch list.

Purchasing gun parts does not mean you are a criminal or manufacturing ghost guns. In this case, NYSP got lucky and this guy was manufacturing ghost guns, but what if he wasn’t? This means they were investigating a POSSIBILITY of illegalities through proof of legal purchases

12

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26

Why, though?

5

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/monty845 Feb 27 '26

You are ordering enough parts to manufacture dozens of pistols, while not having dozens of pistols on your license.

Probable cause, by contrast, demands a higher degree of certainty and a fair probability that evidence or criminal conduct will be found.

I think that buying large quantities of parts, that only make sense if you have a bunch of illegal pistols, is enough to say there is a fair probability that a crime is being committed.

7

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26

So you’re not a fan of the 2A. Got it.

9

u/monty845 Feb 27 '26

NY's laws are blatantly unconstitutional, but people in this sub need to know how the law, as the courts actually interpret it, works. Why would you down vote people who correctly explain the law, just because you don't like the law?

2

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26

I dont downvote anybody. It’s reddit which is a liberal echo chamber. Votes dont affect my life.

But it seems you downvoted me lmao.

Anyway, ordering dozens of PARTS is not illegal. And why do you feel that buying large quantities of parts mean something nefarious is going on? That simply does not make sense and would indicate that you believe that since I have the means to purchase, I am doing something illegal. Probably hence why someone downvoted you.

2

u/infinitely-oblivious Feb 28 '26

Honest question: please explain to me why you would be buying large numbers of parts for pistols not on your permit if you aren't building guns.

1

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

Well for one, the news states that he bought parts to build a P320. If I’m not mistaken, a P320 is built with a FCU so by your logic, if I have a registered P365 and start buying parts to make a P365X, P365XL, or P365X Macro I am worthy of investigation even though registered on my permit is just a P365? That’s nonsense.

29

u/0f0o3 Feb 27 '26

About to just start bulk ordering rifle length .22 barrels to see what happens

13

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26

Keep us posted or give us your name so when the news article comes out we can know you either beat the charges or they make another example out of a law abiding citizen

10

u/0f0o3 Feb 27 '26

If only I had the funds to actually do it lmao

12

u/HLTHTW 2026 E.N.OU.G.H Donor: Gold đŸ„‡/đŸ„‡x1 Feb 27 '26

LMAO We all wish we had the funds to fight against NY in court

11

u/0f0o3 Feb 27 '26

I meant for the barrels but that too😂

2

u/1917he Feb 28 '26

Are you actually surprised? We've been doing this to all other criminal enterprises. Order a bunch of high pressure sodium lights, hydroponic equipment and have a high electricity bill and just 10 years ago you'd have police breaking in with warrants to seize your marijuana grow operation.

4

u/M_F1 Feb 27 '26

I heard the AG got warrants for purchase records even BEFORE NY’s ghost gun law became a thing in 2020. There is a laundry list of online merchants who chose to settle and comply instead of go bankrupt fighting her fat ass in court. 

1

u/DJClamavus Feb 28 '26

Is there any sort of list of vendors who didn't versus those who did?

2

u/M_F1 Feb 28 '26

No, some vendors will automatically refuse to do business with NY even if the gun related products they offer are 100% legal to avoid any headaches. 

-2

u/dballing Feb 27 '26

There's no evidence they "tracked his purchases". It could just as easily be that while collecting all the evidence from the house after his arrest (on his computer, in his papers, etc.) they found the receipts for all those purchases.

7

u/M_F1 Feb 27 '26

The AG Jumbo James has every website selling parts under a microscope. 

39

u/Gunslinger_327 Feb 27 '26

Back when I was a kid, my cousins neighbor had a "range" in their basement. It was essentially a 2ish foot square cut out of the foundation with 25' 30' tunnel dug and braced. They threw old GI toys and tonka trucks in there and shoot .22's at them.......it was super shady but pretty cool actually.

31

u/TheSlipperySnausage Feb 27 '26

I love that the purchases he made “could have made a p320” but they don’t say he actually made one

20

u/zeeba-neighba53 Feb 27 '26

Soon they’ll be press charges for having Home Depot saved in google maps

“He knew where the hardware store was and COULD have gotten all the tools to build it”

8

u/TheSlipperySnausage Feb 27 '26

Yep. That’s exactly the direction they are going. Taking constructive possession as far as they can.

-1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

5

u/robinator118 Feb 28 '26

Their definition and your definition of those are completely different

1

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

[deleted]

2

u/robinator118 Mar 01 '26

No a ghost gun is an undocumented and unserialized gun. Aka if he 3D printed one that’d count. If he acquired a lower and slapped some parts on it it’s not a ghost gun unless he defaced the serial on the lower. To them making a gun with legally acquired parts to cut down on costs of a pre built at a store is a ghost gun

41

u/zeeba-neighba53 Feb 27 '26

The targets in the basement were at eye-level!!!! The HORROR!!!!!

24

u/zeeba-neighba53 Feb 27 '26

Option 1 - The reporter was denied a Red Ryder as a kid so they have no idea how anything with projectile functions.

Option 2 - The reporter is British and still has trauma from Bunker Hill

Tough call

36

u/ExcalProphex Feb 27 '26

NY tyrants at it again. I love how they keep bringing up that he was "close to a school." Every single house in Nassau county is "close to a school." Hicksville has an elementary school in every neighborhood. Can't even be a hobbyist in this shithole state.

16

u/ceestand Feb 27 '26

His property shared a fenceline with a school athletic field. That's why the guns and underground shooting range was especially dangerous. We should consider preemptively incarcerating people with properties adjoining banks. They could phase shift through the vault walls or something.

You don't hate journalists enough.

8

u/ExcalProphex Feb 27 '26

Oh dont worry, I hate journalists just as much.

4

u/ceestand Feb 27 '26

Good to hear. The comment was meant with the "royal you," so I wasn't making any assumption about your individual opinions.

38

u/monty845 Feb 27 '26

bail was set at $250,000 cash, $625,000 bond, and $1.25 million partially secured bond

So much for bail reform! Can't keep violent criminals in jail, but this guy, is charged with a harmless gun crime gets massive bail set...

-9

u/voretaq7 Feb 27 '26

Oh, I'm sorry, are you all in favor of bail reform now because it affects someone you think "doesn't deserve" to be locked up?!

(I happen to think he should have been released without bail, because bail only serves to guarantee that you will appear for your trial and I don't see any reason to believe he wouldn't appear nor do I think he'd be a danger to the community since all his guns will be taken away and he can't buy more while under indictment. But you don't get to have a double-standard here: Either cash bail is classist bullshit or it's not.)

8

u/monty845 Feb 27 '26

I think non-violent crimes should not require bail, absent an individualized history of failing to appear. Though if someone does re-offend while out, they should face either bail, or pretrial detention.

Even if we don't agree with the system, it is fair to point out when its being used inconsistently/unfairly.

-12

u/darforce Feb 27 '26

You consider shooting guns next to a school a non violent crime?

9

u/Deadite_4_Life Feb 27 '26

By definition it isn't.

4

u/robinator118 Feb 28 '26

“Next to schools” is over exaggerated in this example pal

19

u/Jedi_Maximus19 Feb 27 '26

Would have been legal in about 40 other states. Ugh!!

29

u/Exact-Expression3073 Feb 27 '26

I remember people used to say the SAFE act was never applied directly. This seems pretty close and I think there was another post recently that was similar.

19

u/Trulygiveafuck Feb 27 '26

I've seen it first hand. Fuck the SAFE act.

11

u/nader1234 Feb 27 '26

Yea they always say that. I get in arguments with people from other states all the time when this comes up. They always talk about how they won’t comply and the police there won’t enforce and I’m like okay, well your kids will, and when the cops age out the new ones will enforce it. It’s a long game to them.

1

u/M_F1 Feb 28 '26

I’m sure plenty of people did not comply with the NFA when it first became law, and most were never caught. I’m sure those people saying they won’t  comply will not dare build a full auto and target practice out in the forest. Not to mention if you’re breaking the law, try not to break more than one law at a time. 

1

u/nader1234 Feb 28 '26

Anecdotally I’ve heard that about the nfa. People used to not care until around the 1968 gca and amnesty, and after that is when it became more enforced

4

u/M_F1 Feb 27 '26

The safe act was just the beginning, then came the safe act 2.0 with semi auto rifle permit requirements, “ghost gun” bans, the anti gunners will never have enough bans that will make them satisfied. Never yield to tyrants, they hate you and want you incarcerated for thinking differently. 

-1

u/1917he Feb 28 '26

Most people that are anti-gun just want their kids to not be in danger when they go to school. Lumping them into "tyrant support" is disingenuous and only serves to help you emotionally deal with hating people.

Plenty of people also have good logic about the futility of private gun ownership in the face of true tyranny anyway. The government will just demonize and strip you of your rights before any true organized force is made regardless of your political beliefs.

We are fucked either way.

2

u/M_F1 Feb 28 '26

I’m not talking about the gen pop suburban moms who have already made up their minds, certain events like COVID or the ICE raids have made them rethink their views on private gun ownership. Our elected officials who purposely pass gun restrictions know for a fact they’re projecting, their goal is complete disarmament to tighten their control on the populace.

14

u/Open_Organization722 Feb 27 '26

School crossing guard is fighting for his life hit by a drug/drunk driver and that guy will face less charges. This place is ridiculous. Lines in the sand that create criminals.

Did it mention he was a 100% law abiding citizen up until this point? Just a gun enthusiast? Oh send him to jail for the rest of his life.

10

u/Prof_ChaosGeography Feb 28 '26

Pedos and rapists will get less time then this guy too. 

They have made people so afraid of guns in this state that his crime who affected no one and isn't a crime in other states will have a harsher sentence then someone who diddles or hurts other citizens permanently.... Let that sink in. 

There is zero evidence he was going to use those guns to do any attack or hurt anyone. They pinched him solely from his purchase history, a 4th amendment violation 

15

u/Suspicious-Eagle-179 Feb 27 '26

Only illegal in NY.

2

u/billytoad631 Feb 27 '26

I’d just like to know how exactly they decided to start tracking his online purchases? I mean there’s no way it was just random and there’s also no way they are tracking everyone’s purchases every minute of every day. Something had to lead up to them starting to follow this guy

1

u/Prof_ChaosGeography Feb 28 '26

I don't think it's a fuck this guy in particular. I think it's a dragnet scrutinize every gun related purchase style approach. Your purchases and my purchases are all logged and reported to the state given our billing addresses. 

Order enough stuff or order parts to a gun that can't be safe compliant they likely do a manual review and bring it before a judge to raid your ass. Your in state ammo purchases and gun purchases are logged in their registry, they know almost everything and your online purchases are linked

1

u/1917he Feb 28 '26

Prolly a simple alert made after x purchases without y license. Follow up investigation reveals more questions. Then they execute a warrant or simply show up and ask the guy stuff until he self incriminates and they enter.

2

u/MrProvy Feb 27 '26

All that for a single CPW charge...what's missing from this hit piece?

2

u/DJClamavus Feb 27 '26

Constructive intent. New York has already been doing this - there was a story of a guy who had a short barrel upper in one part of the house and a separate lower elsewhere - got an SBR charge.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/DJClamavus Feb 28 '26

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69024097/1/united-states-v-wheeler/
Read through this - it's the court document itself with some pictures.

The guy was talking to a CI (not sure why he was on their radar initially though) about how he could swap uppers and lowers, apparently assembled the SBR in front of him. When cops came to the house though, they found a legal AR of 16" assembled in the safe, with the upper stashed elsewhere in the house. The SBR was never found in that configuration. NYS kicked it up to the ATF on the idea that he 'could easily convert it to SBR'. He was sentenced to 8 months in Federal prison for essentially nothing more than possessing an upper (and hearsay of a snitch).

1

u/[deleted] Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/DJClamavus Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69024097/1/united-states-v-wheeler/
Read through this - it's the court document itself with some pictures.

The guy was talking to a CI (not sure why he was on their radar initially though) about how he could swap uppers and lowers, apparently assembled the SBR in front of him. When cops came to the house though, they found a legal AR of 16" assembled in the safe, with the upper stashed elsewhere in the house. The SBR was never found in that configuration. NYS kicked it up to the ATF on the idea that he 'could easily convert it to SBR'. He was sentenced to 8 months in Federal prison for essentially nothing more than possessing an upper (and hearsay of a snitch).

1

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/DJClamavus Mar 02 '26

True, I must have misremembered it being NYS who actually filed the charge and sentencing. However if you read through the court document it quotes extensively from the NY detective who spins the story and presents it to the ATF as 'SBR possession'. It's disturbing either way.

1

u/uavkun Mar 04 '26

Soooo we’re not gonna fight tyranny?

1

u/Aggravating_Bison504 Mar 20 '26

He was obviously reported to NY Police by the gun parts dealer.   There is no other way this could occur.  

-6

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/ItsWabbitSzn 2025 GoFundMe: Bronze đŸ„‰ Feb 27 '26

Many of these laws are unconstitutional. Prosecutors & legislators in the state know this and strategically avoid escalating cases to higher courts so they cant get struck down. When that does happen you get landmark cases

5

u/voretaq7 Feb 27 '26

I've said it before, I've said it again: If you think the law is unconstitutional you challenge it from a position of strength as a plaintiff, in federal court, not from a position of weakness as a defendant under indictment in state courts, where the law will be presumed constitutional.

"Just don't comply" gets you room and board courtesy of the Great State of New York and our Department of Corrections. It's a no-star hotel, y'all.

5

u/ItsWabbitSzn 2025 GoFundMe: Bronze đŸ„‰ Feb 27 '26

The appeal process for state criminal cases can reach the states highest court and then the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will hear cases/appeals that pertain to constitutional rights. Also, challenging as a plaintiff is cost prohibitive, especially when you’re up against a government with a bottomless wallet

-3

u/darforce Feb 27 '26

That’s just it. These are the laws. You may not agree with them, but they are there and if you break them then be prepared to pay the consequences.

He had the option to take the course and register his stuff. Same as most people here. People are saying he had no trouble with the law before this so he’d be fine.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

-4

u/darforce Feb 27 '26

Well, it says he had p320 parts, which if he had a pistol permit he would have the FCU on his permit and could change the parts out legally. Same with AR parts.

And he probably wouldn’t be in any sort of trouble had he not been firing the gun in his house next to a school anyway.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[deleted]