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The arrest resulted from an incident on Wednesday, Oct. 25 just before 10:30 a.m., when police in White Plains received several complaints regarding a suspicious vehicle that was covered in hate speech.
According to White Plains Public Safety, officers stopped this vehicle, which was bearing Arizona registration, at the intersection of South Lexington Avenue and Quarropas Street in White Plains.
Responding police found that the car's license plate had been illegally altered and that the vehicle had writing painted across the entire windshield, blocking the driver's view, according to authorities.
Further investigation revealed that the license plate had been forged, prompting the car to be impounded. A search of the vehicle later resulted in the discovery of a .40 caliber handgun, a loaded magazine containing ten .40 caliber rounds of ammunition, multiple Arizona license plates, and a New York license plate, police said.
The driver, identified as 47-year-old Hani Saleh of Elmsford, was arrested and charged with:
- Second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument;
- Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Saleh has no permit to legally possess firearms in New York, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, which will be prosecuting the case.
Following his arrest, Saleh was arraigned in White Plains City Court and remanded. He will next appear in court on Thursday, Nov. 2.
White Plains Police are now continuing to investigate the incident with the help of federal law enforcement agencies.
"I thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for working together expeditiously to seize the illegal firearm and apprehend this defendant," said Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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