Thomas Saxton allegedly had seven handguns, two assault rifles and 60 high-capacity magazines in his home; Defendant was arrested at Queens children’s hospital in February for allegedly threatening to kill wife
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that an East Rockaway man was arraigned on Wednesday on multiple weapons possession charges for allegedly stockpiling an arsenal of ghost guns in his home.
Thomas Saxton, 34, was arraigned before Judge Terence Murphy on ten counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony), 14 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D violent felony) and seven counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree (an A misdemeanor). The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on June 24. If convicted of the top charge the defendant faces a potential maximum of 15 years in prison.
“The defendant is accused of stockpiling an arsenal of ghost guns and high-capacity magazines in his East Rockaway home,” said DA Donnelly. “The volume of firearms seized in Nassau County this year is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We will use every tool at our disposal and collaborate with every federal and local partner to stem the flow of these illegal weapons into Nassau County.”
DA Donnelly said that on February 17, 2022, members of the New York City Police Department responded to Cohen Children’s Hospital Center in Queens for an alleged domestic disturbance. The defendant allegedly possessed a handgun and threatened to kill his wife.
During the course of the investigation into the alleged Queens crime, it was discovered that additional weapons were located in Saxton’s East Rockaway home. Members of the Nassau County Police Department responded to the home and recovered seven ghost gun handguns; two assault rifles, one of which was a ghost gun; more than 60 high-capacity magazines; ammunition; and ghost gun parts.
For more information about Saxton’s arrest in Queens, click here.
In January 2022, the NCDA created the Firearms Suppression and Intelligence Unit, which consists of four prosecutors with extensive training in firearms and narcotics, as well as two specialized detective investigators with decades of experience in long-term weapons investigations, and an intelligence analyst.
From January 1 to May 26, 2022, approximately 170 weapons have been seized in Nassau County. In the same time period last year, approximately 114 weapons were seized.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Laube of the Narcotics, Firearms and Gangs Bureau. The defendant is represented by Greg Madey, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
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