Queens Mans Faces 252 Charges In Gun Stockpile Case, DA Says

RICHMOND HILL, QUEENS — A Richmond Hill man was hit with 252 charges for allegedly having a stockpile of illegal weapons, including thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of firearms, some of which were so-called "ghost guns," Queens District Attorney Katz said on Thursday.

Police had already been surveilling Jonathan Santos, 36, for reportedly buying gun pieces online when they saw him load the trunk of a car with gun carrying cases on Monday, Oct. 18. Officers pulled Santos over and found a handful of guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his trunk, prompting them to get a search warrant for his house from a Queens Criminal Court judge.

When the NYPD searched the 36-year-old's house later that night they found 15,000 rounds of ammunition, dozens of firearms, and gun parts and tools that are usually used to make untraceable ghost guns, which don't have serial numbers, records show.

Santos did not have a license to possess or own firearms in the city, the DA said.

This case marks the fourth time since Aug. that the DA and NYPD have seized stockpiles of firearms, ammunition, and ghost guns in Queens, as the city aims to crack down on the untraceable weapons, and the state looks to better regulate the gun-making kits.

At a news conference on Thursday, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said this while the weapons are known as ghost guns the "destruction wrought by criminals who wield them is anything but invisible."

He added that the NYPD is working "around the clock to eradicate them – whether by regulating them, cutting off their supply over a virtual Iron Pipeline, or seizing them in the streets before they can impact one more life, one more community.”

Similarly, Katz — standing in front of a table of seized weapons — said that she would not tolerate the use of ghost guns in Queens.

"We have a clear message to those who think they can get away with bringing these gun parts into our borough: Think again. We will find you, we will prosecute you and we will dismantle the Polymer Pipeline," she said, alluding to the material used to make the untraceable weapons.

Santos, who was arraigned on Wednesday, is facing a 252-count complaint, including criminal possession charges, weapons charges, and unlawful ammunition charges — among others.

He is expected back in court on Nov. 9 and face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.