A Manhasset man who possessed a cache of unregistered weapons at his house was arrested by Nassau County police last week, law enforcement officials said.
Matthew Spigner, 69, was expected to be sentenced to probation for illegally possessing a cache of guns in a previous case. Then he allegedly had another group of weapons, including 12 pistols and six pistols at his Circle Drive residence uncovered by police, officials said. Spigner’s cache of weapons also included silencers, gun parts, assorted knives, ammunition, a cane sword and ammunition feeding devices, according to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
Ryder said officials will work to obtain a warrant to determine if the weapons were for personal use or if Spigner was attempting to sell them.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Spigner was expected to be sentenced to five years probation on Tuesday after police previously found pistols, revolvers, assault rifles, high capacity magazines, silencers, a bulletproof vest and various gun paraphernalia stemming from a May 2021 arrest. Spigner was previously charged with one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to officials.
The most recent investigation by police resulted in Spigner being charged with four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, one in the first degree, one in the second degree and two in the third degree, according to officials.
“Violent crime continues to adversely impact communities across this nation and Long Island is not immune to this threat,” Manuel DeCastro, supervisory special agent from the Department of Homeland Security, said.
“There are too many guns out on our streets and too many people that shouldn’t be carrying them, carrying them,” Donnelly said in a press conference last week. “Firepower like this in someone’s hands, it’s dangerous, and I thank my federal partners and the police commissioner for helping us get these off the streets.”
Officials previously said Spigner was expected to be arraigned at a hospital Saturday, where prosecutors advocated he be held on $500,000 bond. Efforts to reach law enforcement for comment on Spigner’s status and further information on why he was hospitalized were unavailing.
