Schneiderman: Park Slope Man Sold Assault-Style Rifles Out Of Home
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn man illegally sold assault-style rifles out of his family's townhouse, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Tuesday.
As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, Hannibal Smith, 29, of Park Slope, had a Federal Firearms License, which permitted him to sell gun parts -- such as triggers and magazine attachments -- outside New York City. Instead, he acquired fully assembled and operable rifles and sold them through his online store, Brooklyn Firearms, Schneiderman said.
Smith was charged and arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Tuesday on three counts of felony weapons charges. If convicted, he faces up to 21 years in prison.
Schneiderman: Brooklyn Man Was Selling Assault Rifles Out Of Home
"Gun dealers in New York ... must have permits, and they must abide by our local and state law -- laws that are tough but fair and that were enacted to ensure that those who live in our communities are safe," Schneiderman said. "Selling unregistered guns illegally, particularly assault weapons, in Brooklyn is illegal and dangerous. Assault weapons have been banned in New York, and no one needs to sell or have them."
Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recovered three 12-gauge shotguns and a .22-caliber Ruger rifle from Smith's Warren Street home, authorities said. Smith also allegedly shipped two AK-74 semi-automatic rifles to a buyer in Florida.
Smith advertised his business as having "great pricing and great customer service in an industry severely lacking in both," according to its Facebook page. A law enforcement official told Silverman that Smith bought the guns from a legitimate dealer, but authorities were still trying to determine how he got them into New York, where they are banned.
No one answered the door at Smith's home Tuesday.
Neighbors said they were stunned by the arrest.
"I'm horrified," Marnie Schwartz, who lives down the street from Smith, told Silverman. "I moved here a year ago, and we have a child -- she's 2. And it's very, very scary."
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