Men Caught Transferring Rifles at Jericho Home Depot Arrested by Police
Three men were arrested in Jericho, New York after being caught transferring rifles in a Home Depot parking lot on Friday afternoon. The men, who were observed by the Criminal Intelligence Rapid Response Team at 3:58 p.m., exited their vehicles and transferred multiple rifles into other vehicles in the parking lot.
The team took custody of one man, Gilberto Rivera Lopez, 45, from New Cassel, after discovering that he was accused of being in the country illegally. Lopez was charged with six counts of first-degree failure to safely store firearms, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and other related charges.
Two other men, Rudi W. Rivera Lopez, 30, from Central Islip, and Manuel Gutierrez Pineda, 33, from New Cassel, were also arrested and charged with various firearm-related offenses. However, upon further investigation, it was discovered that Gutierrez Pineda was in the U.S. illegally and is subject to removal proceedings.
All three men were taken into custody without incident. Rudi W. Rivera Lopez and Gilberto Rivera Lopez were arraigned on Saturday at First District Court and released, while Gutierrez Pineda was released on an appearance ticket but will face further investigation and potential deportation proceedings.