STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 41-year-old man was arrested for having a loaded gun after police stopped his car in West Brighton because the vehicle had a covered license plate.
The gun was among several illegal items found after officers executed a search warrant on the defendant’s vehicle at the 121st Precinct in Graniteville, according to the criminal complaint and police.
Gabriel Lopez of Grove Place in Port Richmond was arrested while driving a gray 2004 GMC Envoy on September 1 at about 2:15 p.m. in the vicinity of Bodine Street and Castleton Avenue, according to the criminal complaint and police.
The frame obstructed the rear Pennsylvania license plate. Investigators determined that the defendant’s driver’s license was suspended or revoked and he could not produce a valid form of that identification upon request.
The criminal complaint alleges that officers found a glass pipe tainted with cocaine residue inside the center console and a switchblade stored in the driver’s side door.
Officers spotted a .45-caliber bullet, a tan Apache gun box and a black SentrySafe lock box in the third row of seats. Police obtained a warrant to search the gun box and the safe.
The criminal complaint alleges that on Sept. 2, officers armed with a search warrant looked inside the tan gun box and found a black-and-beige Hi-Point .45 semi-automatic pistol, a magazine loaded with nine .45-caliber bullets and 39 loose rounds.
Officers also searched the black lock box and allegedly found two black plastic air pistols and canisters of carbon dioxide.
The criminal complaint alleges that Lopez does not have a license to carry or possess a firearm in the City or State of New York.
Lopez has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was also charged with license violations that include aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and covered plate, as well as administrative code violations of unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of air pistols.
Lopez has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is free on bail set at $30,000 bond/$10,000 cash. His next court date is not yet available in public records.
Attorney Matthew Zuntag, who is defending Lopez, declined to comment at this time.