Two brothers from Queens have been indicted after cops found a cache of IEDs, ghost guns, homemade bombs and a ‘hit list’ that included ‘cops, judges, politicians, celebrities, and banker and corporate scum’ on it.
The brothers – identified as Andrew Hatizagelis, 39 and Angelo Hatziagelis, 51 – were charged with 130 counts of criminal possession of a weapon and other charges and were arraigned on Monday.
Their sinister plan was thwarted after police executed a search warrant at their home in Astoria on January 17, where the two men live with their mother and another brother, prosecutors said.
Members of the NYPD Bomb Squad were called to the scene after live IED’s were found in the apartment that is located directly across from the Con Edison power plant near 36th Avenue in Astoria.
Brothers Andrew Hatziagelis, 39, and Angelo Hatziagelis, 51, were indicted on 130 counts of criminal possession and other related charges after police executed a search on their apartment in Astoria and found instructions for homemade bombs, ghost guns, anarchist propaganda, etc.
The building was evacuated and both men were arrested. If convicted they each face up to 25 years in prison.
During the search warrant, law enforcement officials seized eight operational improvised explosive devices (IEDs), one partially constructed trip-wire IED, two loaded AR-15 style ghost gun assault weapons, each with a detachable magazine, muzzle compensator and threaded barrel.
Also found were two loaded 9 mm semiautomatic ghost gun pistols, two loaded 9 mm semiautomatic 3D printed ghost gun pistols, one partially constructed AK-47 style ghost guns, and over 600 rounds of ammunition for each of the firearms.
Additional items include, one 3D printer, three sets of body armor, six additional AR/pistol lower receivers, twenty-nine high-capacity ammunition feeding devices – thirteen of which were personally manufactured utilizing a 3D printer, tools to assemble ghost guns and metal knuckles.
A radio set to the frequency of the 114th Precinct in Astoria was also discovered in their Queens apartment, in addition to several other electronic devices – phones, computer.
Handwritten notes were scrawled on numerous notebooks that contained instructions on the manufacture of explosive devices and anarchist related propaganda
Police also seized nine pyrotechnic smoke bombs, explosive residue, and components to manufacture additional IEDs.
Homemade weapons that the brothers made out of their Queens apartment with the intent of causing malice
Handwritten notes of the ‘Hit List’ created that included ‘cops, judges, politicians, celebrities.’ They also noted that they wanted to do wipe away with ‘corporate and banker scum’
Documents were shown at Monday’s press conference held by Queens DA Melinda Katz of detailed instructions on the weapons of mass destruction
At a Monday press conference, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz shared some details about the six-month investigation and said ‘the city is safer today.’
‘My Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau launches investigations every day so that we find illegal weapons, including guns and in this case explosive devices,’ Katz said.
‘We cannot measure the number of lives that were saved, but we do know that these weapons will never hurt anyone.
‘My Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau launched this investigation. Upon securing a search warrant we worked with the NYPD, Homeland Security, State Police and uncovered eight fully operable bombs, several guns and numerous other weapons.’
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said the cache of weapons found, explosives and untraceable, 3D-printed ghost guns, had the ‘potential to wreak horrendous carnage.’
‘Today’s charges underscore the harsh reality that our communities contain a small number of people who conceivably harbor evil intent,’ he said.
He expressed gratitude to the NYPD investigators, local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, for their ‘persistence in identifying, investigating, and holding fully accountable anyone who poses a risk to New Yorkers’ safety and well-being.’
Their next court date is schedule for February 15.
