An arsenal of weapons was discovered earlier this month inside a Queens apartment shared by two brothers.
"What we prevented can never be quantified," said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, whose office spearheaded the investigation.
What You Need To Know
- Police say they found assault weapons, 3D-printed guns, homemade explosives and anarchism-related propaganda in the apartment of Andrew Hatziagelis, 39, and Angelo Hatziagelis, 51, on Jan. 17
- Officials say they also found a hit list with the words "cops," "judges," "politicians" and "celebrities" written on it, as well as "wipe out the scum" and "wipe out the earth"
- The Astoria apartment is located across the street from a Consolidated Edison facility, but Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz says there is no indication that it was a target
- One of the brothers has a prior misdemeanor conviction from 1994
On Jan. 17, police say they found assault weapons, 3D-printed guns, homemade explosives and anarchism-related propaganda inside the home of Andrew Hatziagelis, 39, and Angelo Hatziagelis, 51.
"We have about 600 rounds of ammunition, three sets of body armor, including those three backpacks. We have 29 high-capacity magazines. Thirteen of those, just so you know, were built by a 3D printer," Katz said.
Officials say they also found a hit list with the words "cops," "judges," "politicians" and "celebrities" written on it, as well as "wipe out the scum" and "wipe out the earth."
"The target could've been anyone which, to some extent, is even more dangerous," Katz said.
Shaleen Heffernan, a longtime neighbor of the brothers, says she will never forget the day they were arrested.
"There was a guy in full tactical gear with an AK-47 sniper opening the window on the second-floor landing," Heffernan said.
Officials say the brothers shared the apartment in Astoria with their mother and another brother. Heffernan told NY1 the family members were often rude or kept to themselves entirely.
"They're not congenial. They're not friendly people," Heffernan said. "You know when somebody walks around with a huge chip on their shoulder? Like iceberg size? That's how it is."
This seizure comes after a six-month investigation into ghost guns. According to the Queens district attorney's office, 113 ghost guns were recovered in the borough last year alone.
"I believe that preventative law enforcement is the reason that these weapons will never be used and we will continue to effectively find these weapons before they're used in New York City," Katz said.
The brothers were indicted on 130 criminal charges. They are due back in court Feb. 15. If convicted, they each could face up to 25 years behind bars.