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East Rockaway resident Thomas Saxton, age 34, was arraigned Wednesday, May 25, on multiple weapons charges, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
It came three months after police arrested him for allegedly pulling out a gun and threatening his wife as she held their two-year-old child at Cohen Children’s Hospital Center in Queens.
Saxton reportedly told his wife that he would kill her in front of all the people there or murder her in her sleep, according to Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Arriving officers found Saxton in the hospital’s parking lot with two loaded handguns, ammunition and a loaded magazine, prosecutors said.
They also allegedly found a bag of cocaine in his wallet.
“This potentially deadly threat was made all the more frightening when police found illegal and untraceable firearms on the defendant,” Katz said.
Saxton was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, endangering the welfare of a child, and other crimes.
But more charges followed after police searched his East Rockaway home.
They reportedly found seven ghost handguns, two assault rifles, one of which was a ghost gun, more than 60 high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and ghost gun parts.
The term "ghost gun" refers to guns that are considered untraceable as they lack serial numbers. They are sold in kits and assembled at home without a background check.
“(Saxton) is accused of stockpiling an arsenal of ghost guns and high-capacity magazines in his East Rockaway home,” Donnelly said.
“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,” she continued.
If convicted, Saxton could spend up to 15 years in prison. He’s due back in court Friday, June 24.
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