Cops: Levittown man had illegal weapons, drugs

Authorities seized a small arsenal — including an assault rifle loaded with armor-piercing bullets — and vials of the club drug ketamine at the Levittown home of a man arrested Sunday after he threatened to shoot two people with a double-barrel shotgun, Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Monday.

Nassau police seized several other rifles at the home of Christopher Price, 74, Ryder said during a news conference in Mineola. Police also recovered an Uzi — a handheld submachine gun — a snub-nose revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in addition to the assault rifle, an AR-15, the commissioner said.

"That is the AR-15," Ryder said as he and Nassau County executive Laura Curran held up the assault rifle. "The ammunition is armor-piercing ammunition that was with it, it was loaded. That ammunition can go through a bulletproof vest."

Price was arraigned Monday on a long list of drug and weapons charges, as well as two counts of second-degree menacing, officials said. He was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bond, $250,000 cash or $800,000 partially secured bond.

Price’s attorney, Adam C. Neal of Mineola, said Price is a weapons collector and not a threat to the community. "He didn’t have any intention of using this stuff," Neal said.

Events leading to Price's arrest began when Nassau police received a 911 call at 1:50 p.m. Sunday from a man and woman who said a man driving a black 2018 Jeep Wrangler had pointed a shotgun at them and threatened to shoot them, Ryder said.

The commissioner said he did not know what preceded the alleged threat. Price knew the woman, Neal said, although he was not sure of the nature of the relationship.

A patrol officer pulled Price over shortly after the 911 call, Ryder said, and recovered the shotgun and ketamine from the vehicle.

Price gave police permission to search his home, Ryder said.

"He was cooperative with the police," Neal said. "He consented to having them come to his property. This was not something he wanted to hide.

Price had been arrested on a ketamine-related charge in September, Ryder said. The Levittown man had a weapons permit but it was revoked in 2005 after a domestic incident, according to the commissioner. Price applied for a permit earlier this year but was denied.