Photo Courtesy of DA Katz
Thirty-three total illegal firearms were seized from the four residences.
By Forum Staff
Four borough residents have been arrested stemming from the seizure of dozens of firearms, including 27 “ghost” guns, assault weapons, firearm accessories, thousands of rounds of ammunition and other items recovered during raids in Bayside Terrace and Auburndale, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Thursday.
Andrew Chang, 34, Kai Zhao, 45, Michael Frankenfeld, 55, and Seongwoo Chung, 35, have been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal sale of a firearm and other crimes after caches of illegal weapons were allegedly found in their homes.
Following a long-term investigation that utilized various surveillance techniques and intelligence gathering and state-of-the-art data analytics, the NYPD’s Major Case Field Intelligence Team along with members of the Queens District Attorney’s Detective Bureau executed court-authorized search warrants on four residences last Tuesday morning. The investigation focused on individuals who were purchasing polymer-based firearm components—parts that do not include any serial numbers—that can be easily assembled into operable firearms. These weapons known as “ghost” guns are untraceable, easy to acquire and assemble, and circumvent any and all background check requirements.
Last Tuesday, investigators executed the search warrants at the two Bayside Terrace residences of Chang. Police also raided the Auburndale home of Zhao and Frankenfeld, as well as the apartment of Chung, who also lives in Auburndale.
The searches resulted in the seizure of the following:
- 33 total firearms, 27 of which were “ghost” guns, including: 22 semi-automatic ghost gun pistols, 4 ghost gun assault weapons, and 1 ghost gun assault shotgun
- 78 large capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, many of which could hold up to 30 rounds
- 16 additional complete polymer-based lower receivers
- Approximately 10,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers
- Firearm accessories including silencers, holographic sights, bullet proof vests and a nighttime laser targeting system
- Several firearm-related components, parts, and equipment for assembling and manufacturing “ghost” guns
- More than $50,000 cash.
DA Katz said all four defendants do not have licenses to own or possess firearms in New York City.
If convicted, Chang and Chung face up to 15 years in prison; Frankenfeld and Zhao face up to 25 years in prison.
“This case, and the dozens of guns, component parts, and ammunition seized as part of it, show once again that the proliferation of illegal ghost guns is not a passing fad but a continuing scourge against our citizens, our City, our way of life. These guns, often ordered online and shipped to New York City, shoot real bullets that victimize New Yorkers,” said City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “But our joint, intelligence-driven focus on interrupting the supply chains for these weapons, and keeping them from hitting the streets, is intensifying thanks to the strong partnership between the NYPD, our Major Case Field Intelligence Team, and the office of the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and her prosecutors who remain relentless in pursuing these important investigations and ensuring safety for all.”
Since August, there have been a total of five ghost gun takedowns in Queens—in addition to
Tuesday’s takedown, there were two in Richmond Hill, one in Hollis, one in Rosedale, one in Fresh
Meadows—with a total of 10 defendants charged.
