9 L.I Gun Shop Employees Charged With Selling Assault Weapons

nbcnewyork.com ^ | 17 Feb 2011 | unattributed

[smokingfrog]

Nine people on Long Island have been accused of illegally selling assault weapons that had been modified to appear as if they were no longer semi-automatic.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said Thursday that five Nassau gun shops sold assault weapons to undercover officers during the course of a 10-month investigation. Four store owners and five employees of the stores have been arrested and charged, Rice said.

One suspect, Martin Tretola of Bellmore, "went so far as to demonstrate to undercover officers how to remove a temporary fixed stock and replace it with a collapsible one," Rice said.

Under state law, only law enforcement and certain members of the military are legally permitted to possess assault weapons, defined in New York as guns that reload automatically, hold more than 10 rounds or accept detachable magazines.

Authorities said the weapons were rigged so that they would no longer automatically reload -- a fix that was easy to reverse.

[smokingfrog]

If convicted, each of those arrested faces up to seven years in prison. Each business faces up to a $10,000 fine per felony or double the company's gain from the criminal conduct.

[omega4179]

The article is lies.
These legit shops where taking non NY Ban compliant semi autos and making them compliant with Fubar NY laws BEFORE selling them.

[muir_redwoods]

So, in NY a Ruger 10/22 is an assault rifle?

[Paladin2]

""went so far as to demonstrate to undercover officers how to remove a temporary fixed stock and replace it with a collapsible one," "

Is this really Rocket Science that a high school dropout couldn't figure out for himself?

[davetex]

Well we all know how dangerous and evil a collapsible stock can be. That’s not an assault rifle, that’s a WMD. The Horror!!!

The UN must propose a collapsible stock ban immediately!!

[smokingfrog]

That’s kind of what it sounded like to me.

[jessky]

well i guess my 22-306-ect are assault weapons who would have thunk it

[davetex]

We must all band together to never subject our families and friends to the unspeakable tragedies of the gruesome collapsible stocks.

[rahbert]

So all other serious crime has been eradicate in the island?

are they still charging money to see the pathetic Islanders?

[USMCPOP]

Sounds like the reporter has no grasp whatsoever of firearms or the local firearm laws.

[17th Miss Regt]

If the collapsing stocks are forbidden are we safe from a repeat performance of 2008 on Wall Street?

[Paladin2]

I think you are on to something.

LI is so close to Manhattan that the collapsing stocks could easily be smuggled across the bridges and through the subway tunnels directly to Wall Street.

[Yo-Yo]

When collapsable stocks are outlawed, only outlaws will have collapsable stocks.

[I still care]

I lived in LI for years. People there have very little exposure to arms unless they are in certain trades.

Nobody I knew had a gun, unless it was an old collectors piece - and if they did, they didn’t talk about it. The police respond quite fast in my area, and many liberal types just don’t see the need for self defense. I once called the cops because I heard a scream - they were at my door within two minutes.

When I moved to the south I was astounded by all the guns here. Heck, when I joined my first church the pastors wife started discussing her guns at the first bible study meeting.

It’s a different outlook. Guns are alien to the liberal culture. They really don’t “get” them. They’ve been safe for so long.

[smokingfrog]

If you're not careful, you might pinch your finger or pull-out some beard hair.

[outofstyle]

WTF is an "assault weapon?" I have a knife. Somebody calls it a "steak knife." If I only use it to cut bread, is it still a steak knife?

Refuse to let these assholes own the language!

[Stonewall Jackson]

If a deranged man attacks someone with a hatchet, claw hammer, or baseball bat, do these items become assault weapons? Technically, they are weapons that were used in an assault.

For that matter, fists, elbows, feet, foreheads, and knees can also be considered assault weapons if used properly (or would it be improperly?) during a fight.

Is the sarcasm tag really necessary?

[davetex]

Here Now!!!

How did you get that picture of me? Now I have to go deep underground!!

[kearnyirish2]

When do our beloved civil servants that are being laid off in the worst economy in their memory start pressuring the gubmint to re-direct its resources and put that into their pockets?

I’m not holding my breath.

[Prokopton]

If a deranged man attacks someone with a hatchet, claw hammer, or baseball bat, do these items become assault weapons? Technically, they are weapons that were used in an assault. For that matter, fists, elbows, feet, foreheads, and knees can also be considered assault weapons if used properly (or would it be improperly?) during a fight.

Actually, all of these things can be "dangerous weapons" in the criminal charge of "assault with a dangerous weapon". I prosecuted a person for assault with a dangerous weapon where the dangerous weapon was a pillow. Depends on how you use it.