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Nassau County resident Matthew Bonanno, age 49, of Great Neck, pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for owning a 9mm pistol and was sentenced to five years of probation by acting state Supreme Court Justice Terence Murphy on Long Island.
Bonanno had been charged in a 13-count indictment in Nassau County that alleged he illegally possessed five assault weapons and two pistols that authorities seized from his former North Shore apartment.
In Westchester, Bonanno was initially charged with:
- 11 counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to assault rifles found in his possession;
- 38 counts of third-degree grand larceny related to illegal high-capacity magazines and ammunition that were seized and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon for possessing metal knuckles.
Police in Tuckahoe was contacted by acquaintances of the plastic surgeon in August 2019, after they overheard threats against Bonanno's estranged wife and her family, and when they intervened, he was found with an illegal Glock and an arsenal in his BMW.
Officers responded to Growler’s Beer Bistro, where they found Bonanno, who was armed, prompting them to search his vehicle, where they found:
- Five fully-loaded assault rifles with high-capacity magazines;
- Three handguns;
- 29 high-capacity loaded magazines;
- More than 1,600 rounds of ammunition;
- Stun gun;
- Heavy ballistic body armor;
- Ballistic helmet;
- Handcuffs;
- Full head cover face masks;
- Multiple military-style knives;
- Four brass knuckles;
- Pepper spray fogger;
- Scopes, binoculars, and other paraphernalia.
Investigators also recovered weapons at a residence of Bonanno's in Mount Pleasant and from his Long Island home on East Shore Road in Great Neck, where police seized assault rifles, handguns, high capacity magazines, body armor, ammunition, and smoke grenades.
Officials noted that the guns were bought legally out of state, and Bonanno previously had a license to possess guns in New York, but it had expired, noting that he was a gun collector.
Bonanno will officially be sentenced in Westchester on Friday, Sept. 17. He will also be sentenced to time served after spending three months in Westchester County Jail before being granted bail.
In addition to his sentence, Bonnano also had to forfeit his medical license because of the felony convictions.
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