Cops seize Army vet's weapons arsenal

[Zedicus]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...4_cops_seize_army_vets_weapons_arsenal-5.html

Cops seize Army vet's weapons arsenal

BY ALISON GENDAR, KERRY BURKE and MICHAEL WHITE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Friday, January 4th 2008, 4:00 AM

NYPD organized crime investigation unit cops tell media about huge cache of weapons and ammunition seized from unstable Army vet Suwei Chuang, 36, on a tip Wednesday. DelMundo for News

NYPD organized crime investigation unit cops tell media about huge cache of weapons and ammunition seized from unstable Army vet Suwei Chuang, 36, on a tip Wednesday.
Suwei Chuang ABC

Suwei Chuang

Cops seized a stunning array of weapons and 28,000 rounds of ammunition from the Queens apartment of an unstable Army vet after a girlfriend reported him to authorities, police said Thursday.

Suwei Chuang, 36, who had once failed a psychological screening administered by the NYPD, was nabbed Wednesday night in Manhattan after officers investigating the tip found an assault rifle in his SUV, cops and sources said. A subsequent search of his posh new Flushing apartment revealed the cache of guns.

Cops found a submachine gun, a 12-gauge shotgun, a 9-mm. Glock pistol, a .50-caliber rifle and a .22-caliber rifle scattered about his 40th Road flat, police said. The AR-15 assault rifle seized from his Toyota FJ Cruiser was fitted with a scope and fully loaded, officials said. Police also seized 800 rounds of ammo from the vehicle.

Chuang was turned in by a woman who had approached prosecutors about a menacing incident involving him, police sources said. Cops tracked him to lower Manhattan, where he parked about 8:45 p.m. near Gold and Spruce Sts. The assault rifle was in plain sight, cops said.

Chuang is a nephew of Queens activist and respected businessman Timothy Chuang, a family friend said from one of the entrepreneur's Flushing drugstores.

Timothy Chuang did not return calls seeking comment. The nephew is facing a slew of weapons charges.

He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson about 10 years ago and served some six months in lockup, a source said, adding the court took into account Chuang's psychological difficulties.

He had been examined by an NYPD psychologist before the arson. It was unclear why he was screened, but the psychologist found that Chuang had "poor stress tolerance, poor judgment, poor impulse control and immaturity," the source said. Chuang is a naturalized citizen from Taiwan who served in the U.S. Army, police said.

HR2640 isn't going to be used for what again?

 

[K3]

I count 6 firearms. That's an arsenal?

Kudos to him on keeping his babies adequately fed though. 28K rounds for 6 guns sounds decent.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

6 guns? OMG he'll destroy the world! He probably had a few cases of ammo for his .22. I'd like to hear more about the sub gun. Was it a real one or was it a Tec-9 or something? Legal transferrable?
What was he arrested for? Being a gun owner in NY?

 

[bogie]

I think I've got that much just for .22LR...

Family probably thinks that it doesn't have to worry about... And that psych screening description sounds pretty much generic for a lot of the kids these days...

 

[alsaqr]

Wow!!! An "arsenal" of six guns. Wonder that the sorry butt NYC reporter would call the 60 or so guns and 120,000-150,000 rounds of ammo around this place.

 

[FieroCDSP]

okay....I don't really think this has anything to do with HR2640. They did not pick him up on anything resembling what was in 2640. At all. They got a call that the guy had guns, and was unstable (according to the Girlfriend). They would go after anyone with guns in the city, and even more-so on someone that was called unstable. They found a loaded AR-15 in his vehicle (a crime, likely a felony), and a 50-cal rifle (weren't they banned in NY state?). They likely nailed him with a few extra charges until they can establish whether he bought the guns after being adjucated mentally-defective, or whatever.

Did you read HR2640??!? Unless he's an illegal immigrant, there's no crime listed in there to charge him with. He's been charged with violations of state and city laws, and if he was dumb enough to leave a loaded AR-15 in his vehicle in Queens, then tick off his girlfriend enough that she blabbed to the cops, he's probably better off in the slammer. The laws suck, but that doesn't mean anyone should outly flaunt their disregard for them.

 

[siglite]

The laws suck, but that doesn't mean anyone should outly flaunt their disregard for them.

Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and a bunch of guys lobbing tea off a ship would disagree with you

But, at least as presented, I think I agree with you. Moral of this story? If you value your gun rights, stay the hell away from shrinks. If people were afraid to seek psychiatric care BEFORE that bill, heh, now they have another reason.

 

[K-Romulus]

FYI: the article lists the "cache":

Here's a look at all the weapons, ammo and other items seized:

28,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, including armor-piercing bullets

Loaded AR-15 assault rifle with scope

18 loaded magazines for assault rifle

Fabrique Nationale 5.7-mm. submachine gun

40 large combat knives

4 bullet-resistant body-armor vests

12-gauge shotgun

9-mm. Glock pistol

.50-caliber rifle, .22-caliber rifle and 4 air rifles

6 Motorola police-type radios

Source: NYPD

So four Airsofts count towards the "arsenal." Looking at the photo, in the middle is a curvy-looking thing that could be a PS-90.

 

[hnk45acp]

Loaded gun in car in NYC is illegal.
AR-15 in NYC is illegal.
50 caliber NOT illegal in NYC...yet
the 5.7 is not technically illegal but no one will approve the gun onto your permit in NYC
apparently the 9mm Glock was stolen.
Not clear if he had a permit for the firearms.
Arrest seems predicated on complaint of menacing w/ gun

 

[DaveBeal]

He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson about 10 years ago

Felon in possession, if nothing else.

 

[Roswell 1847]

He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson about 10 years ago and served some six months in lockup, a source said, adding the court took into account Chuang's psychological difficulties.

He had been examined by an NYPD psychologist before the arson.

Arson in a City like New York will win you few friends in law enforcement.
He was major lucky he wasn't still doing time for that one.

 

[doc2rn]

They seized his legally owned firearms because a GF said he was unstable. Is that a medical opinion? Is it against the law to own firearms? Is it against the law to store them in your parked vehicle? Sounds like grounds for illegal search and seizure, if I where him I would have a lawyer on them today and have my stuff back tommorrow. Sounds like revenge of the X.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Fabrique Nationale 5.7-mm. submachine gun

Wonder if it was a PS90 with a 16" barrel, or the real thing.

Moral of the story: don't tick off your girlfriend?

 

[FieroCDSP]

Dave Beal, the arson line was talking about the suspect's uncle. The Suspect's uncle was convicted of arson and such.

scratch that... the article is structured/worded terribly. I see where you're coming from, I read it wrong.

 

[DENALI]

Hey thats an arsenal in NYC, boy is he in trouble.....

 

[Steve N]

That scope makes the AR-15 SOOOOOOoooooooooo much more deadly. I've heard that scopes can automatically target innocent people and force the assault weapon to fire by itself.

On the other hand, if he plead guilty to arson, maybe he shouldn't be toting guns around.

 

[buck00]

The overall theme this story promotes is the real crime was simply owning a huge stockpile. Obviously anyone who owned so many guns was "up to something bad." Think about this story from a non-THR viewpoint. Most NYC residents read this and gasp that anyone could amass so many guns. They would probably be just as shocked and upset if they knew how many law-abiding, God-fearing citizens own huge stock piles legally.

And the cops in the photo are all grinning and sticking out their chests as if they just came back from a Big Game hunt with a trophy.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Maybe if the dumbarse wasn't a felon and on the list of people mentally unstable that can't own firearms shouldn't be caught outside showing off his AR15 to friends. Thats why the raid happened. Admittedly calling it an arsenal is a little overkill but this crazyguy is probrobly best off with out it.

Isn't this the second former Navy Seal arrested this week? The last had a whole bunch of explosives and claymore mines that he wanted to run a personal war against the authorities. Its a shame some people minds just can't handle life.

 

[mossberg]

28000 round of ammo in an apartment? Where did he sleep? I wouldn't want to live under him, I'd be afraid of being crushed. Hope that was a first floor apartment.

 

[Mannix]

28000 round of ammo in an apartment? Where did he sleep? I wouldn't want to live under him, I'd be afraid of being crushed. Hope that was a first floor apartment.

Most of it was probably .22, I could fill a shoebox with a few thousand .22lr rounds.

 

[K3]

A stunning array of weapons.

Doesn't take much to stun New York reporters I s'pose.

Since he was not approved by big brother, he had no right to own those evil weapons. A felon. Well, hang him! He had no right to provide for his own defense. That ends when you cross the line! Felons must depend on 911 and the excellent response time of law enforcement for their protection. Untermenschen!

Wait until the list of crimes that are felonies gets really huge and a really siginificant number of folks will be disallowed by nanny from owning firearms. I would hope that those on THR who are so quick to throw felons under the bus would rethink their position.

 

[brigadier]

If there's ever another revolution, I want him on my side.

 

[DrewH]

They seized his legally owned firearms because a GF said he was unstable. Is that a medical opinion? Is it against the law to own firearms? Is it against the law to store them in your parked vehicle? Sounds like grounds for illegal search and seizure, if I where him I would have a lawyer on them today and have my stuff back tommorrow. Sounds like revenge of the X.

Good luck with that. Sounds like most of them were illegal under New York State, New York City, and even federal laws.

 

[tnieto2004]

So he WAS a felon??

 

[bogie]

Yup - sounds like he has a habit of throwing tantrums, and at one time tried to burn something... (or, knowing some charges vs. actualities, he flipped a lit cig onto someone's car seat...).