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David Afanador, age 41, of Long Beach, was sentenced to 16 months to four years behind bars Thursday, June 9, according to the Nassau County DA’s office.
It followed his guilty plea in March to a single charge of criminal possession of a firearm, a felony.
Prosecutors said Afanador was at Ocean Beach Park on March 21, 2021, when he fired multiple shots into the water.
When police arrived, they found Afanador holding an open can of spiked seltzer with a 9mm Beretta pistol in his holster and two loaded magazines, according to prosecutors.
He reportedly gave officers a NYPD identification card that was clearly marked “no firearms,” prosecutors said.
Investigators also found seven spent 9mm shell casings in the sand around Afanador.
Afanador was prohibited from carrying a firearm while under criminal investigation stemming from a violent arrest that was caught on video, according to the New York Post.
He was later cleared of criminal strangulation charges by a grand jury in Queens, the outlet reports.
“This defendant knew he could not legally possess a firearm, but still made the decision to drink with friends on a beach and recklessly fire a loaded gun several times into the ocean,” said Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly.
“Afanador’s behavior was foolish, dangerous, and illegal. We hope that his sentence sends a message to anyone thinking about illegally discharging a weapon in Nassau County in the name of fun.”
A co-defendant, Jennifer Sonnick, of Long beach, is also facing weapons charges in connection to the incident. Her case is pending.
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