Posted on 04/23/2011 11:47:28 AM PDT by neverdem
Nine people arrested in total following an undercover investigation into the sale of assault weapons at gun shops throughout Nassau County.
The owner of a New Hyde Park business and his son were among nine people arrested following an undercover investigation into the sale of assault weapons at gun shops throughout the county, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced Thursday.
Bellmore residents Martin Tretola, 55, owner of T&T Gunnery in Seaford and T&T Tactical in New Hyde Park and his son Thomas Tretola, 24, who is also one of his father's employees, were both arrested as a result of the investigation.
Three other employees of Tretola's shops were also arrested.
During the 10-month probe, four Nassau County gun shops illegally sold assault weapons to undercover DA investigators and members of the New York State Police, Rice said. As a result of the investigation, Rice's office has arrested and charged four store owners and five of their employees.
Under New York State law, only police officers, peace officers, and duly authorized members of the military are legally permitted to possess assault weapons.
One category of an assault weapon is defined as a semi-automatic rifle with the ability to accept a magazine carrying more than five rounds of ammunition and that must also have at least two additional characteristics. These additional characteristics can include a folding or telescoping stock, a protruding pistol grip, a bayonette mount, a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, or a grenade launcher.
Rice said that shop owners were breaking the law by temporarily modifying the weapons to appear as though they lacked the required characteristics of an assault weapon. However, the temporary modification was easily reversible, thereby making them full-fledged assault weapons. For example, a pin was placed in the stock of a weapon in an attempt to prevent its collapse. However, the pins were designed to be easily removable making the stock collapsible.
Rice said Martin Tretola went so far as to demonstrate to undercover officers how to remove the temporary pin from the fixed stock making it collapsible. Both T&T Gunnery and Hunter Sports were on notice that civilians who purchased these weapons from their stores had been arrested and charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, but they continued to sell these weapons.
"The nine men arrested today were openly breaking the law, making a practice of putting profits before the safety of our citizens, and flooding our streets with dangerous assault weapons," Rice said. "Make no mistake, these are combat-specific weapons and not intended for hunting. They have no place on our streets or in the hands of civilians."
Martin Tretola, the owner of two gun shops in Nassau County, is charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree, Unlawfully Disposing of an Assault Weapon, and a misdemeanor violation of the Firearms Licensing Provisions. T&T Tactical was charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First and Second Degrees. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
Martin Tretola's Seaford business, T&T Gunnery, has been charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First and Second Degrees. His New Hyde Park business, T&T Tactical, along with the following defendants and businesses are charged with Unlawfully Disposing of an Assault Weapon and a misdemeanor violation of the Firearms Licensing Provision. Each individual defendant faces up to seven years in prison and each business faces up to a $10,000 fine per felony or double the company's gain from the criminal conduct.
Four of Martin Tretola's employees were also charged as follows:
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
If they’d sold the weapons to messican drug cartels it would have been OK though.
Long Island NY
The 2nd amendment isn’t about hunting any more than the 1st amendment is about comic books.
So they were arrested for making cosmetic changes to weapons that are legal in most of the Free United States?
Oh no, Mr. Bill! Selling rifles that have a removable pin! That definitely makes those rifles far more dangerous than if the pin wasn’t removable, don’t you think? Glad to see the the NY police applied so much time, money and effort to stop this incredible madness. I’m sure our communities are so much safer without those removable pins!
These poor guys are going to experience the full force of tyranny during this trial (as if they haven’t already). I hope they have great lawyers.
If you are ever on a federal jury, don’t believe a word you hear or read that originates from an agent of the federal government. Never. They lie as easy as they breath.
Beat me to it.
Because an AR rifle is more deadly with an adjustable stock than one with a fixed stock.
this is not accurate - Gander Mtn sells flat tops all day long
Everyone knows that Arizona gun shops told ATF about shady “AW” sales.
But they also told the ATF that they also saw straw-buyers pick up the weapon legally, and then while still in the shop, physically hand the AW over to a final recipient, who then paid the buyer get PAID by the final recipient of the “AW”.
THAT is what bona-fide criminals were permitted to get away with.
You can push the pedal down to go the speed limit or you can hold it down and go 120mph.
I believe that's at the heart of this dispicable crime, the making and or selling of so called "assault weapons" with collapsible stocks. /s
So in New York State we (the people) can purchase rifles that can be selectively switched to fully automatic?
IIRC, selective fire or full automatic firearms are verboten for peons in NY.
They should just tell the feds they thought the guns were for export to Mexico.
New York...where 2nd amendment rights end and Marxist lunacy begins. Kudos to the gun shop owners for championing the liberty of American gun buyers.
My God...New York has become an affront to the American way of life.
No. I believe posession of that type of firearm violates Federal law and requires an FFL to possess.
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