NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A pharmacist was arraigned on Wednesday on a 122-count indictment including being charged with possessing over 40 illegal weapons in his Long Island home, prosecutors said.
The weapons were discovered following an incident on July 14, when police were called to a home in Hewlett for a reported burglary.
Following an investigation, it was discovered that Ilya Ostrovskiy, 38, who owns two pharmacies in Brooklyn, allegedly fired a pistol three times toward the street in the direction of suspected burglars.
Officers recovered the discharged gun and four additional unregistered pistols.
Ostrovski was taken into custody and initially had consented to a further home search which his attorney later withdrew.
A detective obtained a search warrant, and investigators found a total of 41 weapons from Ostrovskiy's home, including 18 semiautomatic pistols, 23 assault weapons, 78 high-capacity magazines, and body armor equipment.
"This defendant allegedly possessed an arsenal of assault weapons, unlicensed semiautomatic pistols, high-capacity magazines and body armor in his Hewlett home," Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said. "The flow of illegal weapons into New York is endangering countless lives. We're working from across the state and country to stop these weapons from reaching Long Island."
The investigation into the burglary is still ongoing.
Ostrovskiy now faces charges including criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, 101 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, 18 counts of criminal possession of a firearm and one count of unlawful purchase of body armor.
He pleaded not guilty, with bail set at $200,000 cash and $400,000 bond, including a passport surrender.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2024.
If convicted, Ostrovskiy may face up to 25 years in prison.
