Posted on 07/27/2002 4:02:37 AM PDT by CFW
By Stephen Gurr
sgurr@onlineathens.com
An Elberton man faces charges that he illegally stockpiled 600 hand grenades and more than 30 rifles and handguns in the basement of his Stoney Creek Drive home.
Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Elbert County sheriff's deputies carried out a search warrant at the two-story home of 42-year-old Greg Giannoni Thursday afternoon following a six-month investigation, Elbert County Sheriff Barry Haston said.
Giannoni, who worked in the granite business up until about five years ago, was licensed to sell ammunition, Haston said. He was under indictment for four years on a charge of pointing a gun at another before the charge was dismissed two weeks ago because of lack of evidence, Haston said. He has no criminal record.
The weapons seized included .22-caliber rifles, a Ruger Mini 14 semiautomatic rifle, a .50-caliber rifle, 9mm and .40-caliber handguns.
Giannoni faces federal charges of possessing unregistered weapons and is being held without bond at the Elbert County jail pending a Monday appearance before a federal magistrate in Athens. Charges regarding the grenades are expected to be brought next week.
Haston said authorities were unsure where Giannoni got the military-green grenades, 400 of which were of the ''pineapple'' variety and 200 of which were ''baseball'' style. They were found in 100 cardboard boxes in Giannoni's basement, Haston said.
It was not known if Giannoni was dealing arms from the home he shared with his wife and 21-year-old son.
At least six of the firearms were purchased illegally while Giannoni was under indictment, Haston said.
Authorities also seized a number of as-yet unidentified pills.
Hey, hold muh ecstacy while I throw this grenade.
A northeast Georgia man was charged Friday with unlawful possession of weapons after 600 hand grenades and materials for explosives, ambush devices and booby traps, including trip wire, were found in his home basement.
Greg Giannoni, 44, of Elberton, was in custody at the Elbert County Sheriff's Detention Center Friday afternoon. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official described the packaging of the materials as "extremely unusual."
The seizure included 25 pre-assembled black canvas bags, each holding two boxes with a complete kit for building six grenades. Also seized were shrapnel material, knives, food tablets and twisted pieces of sharpened metal known as jack rocks, which are used for puncturing tires, said Jack Killorin, special agent in charge of the Atlanta ATF office.
He said that the assembly-line quality of the packets was a concern.
"The kits came with tools to make the assembly, everything including a drill bit," he said. "The thoroughness is remarkable."
Giannoni has a federal license to manufacture ammunition, but this would not have allowed him to manufacture hand grenades, Killorin said.
It is not known what Giannoni intended to do with the materials, but he said there is a domestic black market for such weapons. Explosive booby traps are commonly found in connection with illegal drug manufacturing such as methamphetamine, he said.
About 15 to 20 ATF and Elbert County sheriff's personnel served a search warrant at Giannoni's home at 1816 Stoney Crest Drive, Elberton, on Thursday. They did not make an arrest then because officials needed to know what he had in order to charge him, said Lt. Chris Cornell with the Elbert County Sheriff's Office.
Giannoni wasn't considered a flight risk because he has lived in Elberton all his life, Cornell said. Giannoni has a wife and child. He has been unemployed for two years, he said.
Giannoni was charged in 1997 with making "terroristic threats" against a family member but the case was dismissed when it got to trial, Cornell said.
Asked whether the case could have connection to any militias, he responded that they know of no militias Elbert County. "I'm sure we have people scattered here and there, just nothing organized."
Killorin said Giannoni will be held over the weekend and will appear in federal court in either Athens or Macon on Monday.
Depending on how the investigation into the case develops, more charges could be added, he said.
Maybe this guy is mafia - He sure has the right kinda name. I'll bet he was selling the stuff on the black market. (Ragheads?)
Sounds like the feds did a good job. I'm pro-gun all the way, but why does ANYONE need 600 grenades?
To defend themselves when the government comes to take away their guns.
Roger Ebert being arrested for a gun and grenade stockpile would have been most entertaining.
I imagine there is some licensing required for grenades (probably falling under a "destructive devices" law). It's not clear from the article if he had any Class III firearms, but he would have had to pay a tax on those and the government would be aware of them.
Why does anyone *need* an assault rifle?
From each according to their ability, to each according to their need. When we speak of "need", we are already thinking outside of a freedom paradigm, entrenched in the mind of the central planner and authoritarian control freak. May your chains rest lightly upon you. You probably don't need anything more than a daily bowl of rice, some nice gray coveralls to do morning communal calisthenics in, and a tight fitting little Mao cap. Need indeed.
The grenades, though unassembled, are illegal to possess without a federal license.
Reached at his home prior to his detention, Greg Giannoni offered several explanations for having the grenades.
He said he'd bought them "legally over the course of time," and intended to sell them as novelty items, such as paperweights.
At another point, he said he bought them some time ago and was trying to dispose of them legally through government connections.
Jack Killorin, special agent in charge of the investigation for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which raided Giannoni's home Thursday, said the unassembled grenades were packaged individually in what he described as "extraordinarily complete kits for assembling a bomb."
Giannoni is being charged with possession of an illegal destructive device, and will be arraigned Monday before a U.S. magistrate.
Giannoni has a license to make ammunition for small arms and claims to hold a patent to make a type of bullet.
He owns a company called G. Bullets, and intends to sell the bullets on his Web site, he said.
Elberton is about 90 miles east-northeast of Atlanta.
this article sucks because there is no details. then more articles, with still no facts.
pathetic!
Do the Federalie's still need such a thing?
It's not a question of need. Study the U.S. Constitution.
If you have all the parts to make a car but it's not put together, do you still have a car?
I don't know. A friend of mine used to work in the Public Defender's office over there (it is one county east of where I live), but she has now moved.
I'll see if I can find a new contact. Also, the local paper (a once a weeker)should be online by Thursday. Maybe it will have more info. I'll also keep an ear out for the local gossip.
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