Bomb-Making Equipment, Ghost Guns Found In Long Island Home: Cops

FARMINGDALE, NY — Three Farmingdale residents were arrested Wednesday after police said weapons, ammunition, narcotics and bomb-making equipment were found in their house. Daniel Petrizzo, 33; Tiffany Pawson, 32; and Eddie Fernandez, 35, who live on Staples Street, each face weapon, drug and conspiracy charges.

Police officers found 22 "ghost" guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, lab equipment, solid and liquid chemicals that could be used to create high-powered explosives, and a book titled "The Preparatory Manual of Explosives Fourth Edition, Volume 1," police said.

"It's thanks to the hard work of the men and women in the Nassau County Police Department that these guns are now not in the hands of bad people, that bombs will not go off, and who knows how many lives will be saved because of this really important work?," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. "I want to thank the men and women of the police department for doing everything they can to keep our community safe. The proof is right here."

Police received an anonymous 911 call around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday that Petrizzo was "out of control and threatening to shoot himself," Patrick Ryder, commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department, said at the conference. Police talked down Petrizzo, who was outside the home. Before he was brought to the hospital, he authorized police to search the home, which his father owns, Ryder said.

Officers backed out of the home after finding precursors to bomb-making materials and contacted arson and bomb squad investigators, as well as emergency services teams, narcotics investigators and the FBI. A search uncovered 11 handguns, seven assault-style rifles and four revolvers, as well as 148 grams of a substance believed to be cocaine, various pills, enough chemicals for six well-sized, "powerful" bombs and an explosive-making manual, Ryder said. Detectives and the FBI called the home a "clandestine explosive lab."

Three vehicles — a 2020 Audi, 2016 Cadillac and 2011 BMW sedan — were seized and scheduled to be searched Thursday.

Fernandez and Pawson, his girlfriend, were asleep when police arrived. It wasn't immediately clear what the trio planned to do with the equipment, Ryder said. They'll be questioned further as part of the investigation.

"Ghost" guns, Ryder explained, are weapons that are assembled piecemeal from parts ordered from various distributors across the country. They are unregistered firearms, he said.

Petrizzo, Pawson and Fernandez were each charged with first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 12 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, manufacture of a machine gun, third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree conspiracy and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Pawson and Fernandez were both charged with a 13th count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and Pawson was also charged with five outstanding warrants.

All three were scheduled to appear in court Thursday in Mineola.

Petrizzo was sentenced four months ago on misdemeanor drugs and weapons charges; Pawson has a felony drug charge in Suffolk County; and Fernandez served time in the Downstate Correctional Facility in connection with a third-degree attempted robbery charge, Ryder said.