Charged with Illegal Gun Possession & Fake License Plate
Police found loaded semi-automatic weapon and ammunition in defendant’s car, which was covered in writing and images, including swastikas
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced today that an Elmsford man was arrested and charged for possessing a loaded semi-automatic weapon without a permit that was found inside his car.
DA Rocah said: “I thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for working together expeditiously to seize the illegal firearm and apprehend this defendant.”
The defendant, Hani Saleh, 47, of Elmsford, was arraigned today in White Plains City Court before Judge John Collins and charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a felony. The defendant was remanded and his next court date is Nov. 2.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 25, it is alleged that the defendant, who had no permit to legally purchase or possess firearms in New York, was in possession of a semi-automatic firearm and a loaded magazine containing 10 .40 caliber rounds of ammunition, which were found under the driver’s seat of his vehicle.
White Plains Public Safety apprehended the defendant after he was observed driving his car around White Plains. The vehicle was covered in writing and images, as depicted in the photographs filed with the court.
The case is under investigation by the White Plains Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by the DA’s Office White Plains Bureau.
The charges against the defendant are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
White Plains Police description of the incident is:
On 10/25/23 at approximately 1023hrs, after receiving several reports of a suspicious vehicle covered with hate speech, Officers stopped a vehicle bearing an Arizona Registration at South Lexington Ave / Quarropas St. in White Plains. The license plate on the vehicle had been apparently illegally altered and the vehicle also had writing painted across the entire windshield obstructing the driver’s view.
The driver was identified as Hani Saleh, M/W, 4/9/76 of Elmsford, N.Y.
Investigation revealed the license plate to be a forged instrument. An inventory subject to the vehicle being impounded revealed a .40 caliber handgun & several Arizona license plates along with a New York license plate.
Saleh was booked and processed for Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd. He was also issued Traffic Summons for the violations.
We are currently working with Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. The investigation is ongoing.
