Former Plastic Surgeon From Great Neck Sentenced: Report

GREAT NECK, NY — A plastic surgeon from Great Neck accused of possessing a cache of weapons in 2019 has been sentenced to probation, according to a news outlet.

Newsday reports that Dr. Matthew Bonanno, 49, will serve five years of probation and lose his medical license. Friday's sentencing comes nearly three months after the doctor pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon.

Authorities first launched an investigation into Bonanno two years ago, when they received a report that he had made threats against his estranged wife — a Westchester County resident — and her family. Police in Westchester said they were contacted by someone who heard the threats and believed Bonanno was armed.

Officers went to Growler's Beer Bistro in Tuckahoe — where Bonanno was at the time — and found him to be illegally in possession of a loaded Glock semi-automatic handgun, authorities said.

After they took him into custody, they reportedly found a stash of weapons in his BMW, which was parked outside his ex-wife's home. Police said they recovered five assault rifles (fully loaded with high capacity magazines), three handguns, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, heavy ballistic body armor, handcuffs, full head cover face masks, and more.

A search of his Long Island residence yielded another large cache of assault rifles, a shotgun, handguns, high-capacity magazines, body armor, ammunition, smoke grenades, and other weapons, police said. Those were turned over to the Nassau County Police Department.

According to Newsday, Bonanno appeared before a judge in Westchester last month, where he struck a deal to plead guilty to a different felony charge following a 53-count indictment. In that case, his sentence was five years of probation and about four months of prison time he already served, the outlet reported.

The charges brought against him in Westchester are separate from the ones in Nassau County.