By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Andrew and Angelo Hatziagelis have been indicted on 130 counts of criminal possession of a weapon and related charges after an arsenal of improvised explosive devices and ghost guns, including assault rifles, was found inside an Astoria apartment they shared with their mother and another brother. Instructions for making a variety of bombs, anarchist propaganda and a “hit list,” with “cops, judges, politicians, celebrities” and “banker scum” scrawled on it, were also found during a search of the home.
Both Andrew, 39, and Angelo, 51, were remanded into custody.
The defendants are awaiting arraignment on a 130-count indictment charging them with eight counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree, nine counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, 47 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, six counts of criminal possession of a firearm, eight counts of reckless endangerment in the second degree, 14 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, six counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree, 15 counts of make/transport/dispose/deface weapons and dangerous weapons, three counts of unlawful purchase of body armor, one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, one count of attempted criminal possession of a firearm, and three counts of unlawful possession of a pistol or revolver ammunition, and nine counts of unlawfully dealing with fireworks and dangerous fireworks.
According to the charges:
On Jan. 17, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on the brothers’ residence resulting in their arrests and the seizure of:
- Eight operational improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
- One partially constructed trip-wire IED
- Two loaded AR-15 style ghost gun assault weapons, each with a detachable magazine, muzzle compensator and threaded barrel
- Two loaded 9 mm semiautomatic ghost gun pistols
- Two loaded 9 mm semiautomatic 3D printed ghost gun pistols
- One partially constructed AK-47 style ghost gun
- Over 600 rounds of ammunition for each of the firearms above
- One 3D printer
- Three sets of body armor
- Six additional AR/pistol lower receivers
- 29 high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, 13 of which were personally manufactured utilizing a 3D printer
- Tools to assemble ghost guns
- Metal knuckles
- A radio set to the frequency of the 114th Precinct in Astoria
- Several electronic devices (phones, computer)
- Numerous notebooks containing instructions on the manufacture of explosive devices and anarchist related propaganda
- Explosive residue, and components to manufacture additional IEDs
- Nine pyrotechnic smoke bombs
Upon execution of the search warrant at the apartment complex, which is located directly across from a Con Edison power plant, members of the NYPD Bomb Squad were called to respond and subsequently evacuated the building due to the discovery of the live IEDs.
“The city is safer today, Katz said. “We cannot measure the number of lives that were saved, but we do know that these weapons will never hurt anyone.”
If convicted, the brothers face up to 25 years in prison.
