Andrew Hatziagelis (right) and his brother Angelo (left) pleaded guilty on Friday to possessing a cache of weapons and explosive devices at their Long Island City apartment. Photos courtesy of DA’s office
May 19, 2025 By Bill Parry
Two Long Island City brothers admitted they possessed an arsenal of improvised explosive devices, ghost guns, and assault weapons in their apartment on Vernon Boulevard across from the Ravenswood Generating Station.
Andrew Hatziagelis, 41, and Angelo Hatziagelis, 52, both of 36th Avenue in Long Island City, pleaded guilty Friday in Queens Supreme Court to multiple criminal possession of a weapon charges and manufacture, transportation, disposition, and defacement of weapons.
Andrew Hatziagelis additionally pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree with intent to use unlawfully.
According to the charges, members of the Queens District Attorney’s Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau launched an investigation into the purchase of firearm component parts and the manufacture of ghost guns by the Hatziagelis brothers, dating back to September 2020.
Members of the NYPD joined the investigation to assist in the collection of additional data, and a search warrant was secured. On January 17, 2024, members of the Queens DA’s office and the NYPD.
The apartment building was evacuated several times as the NYPD Bomb Squad found more IEDs during the Jan. 17 raid. QNS/File photo
Homeland Security and the New York State Police executed a search warrant at the apartment the brothers share with their mother and another brother at the intersection of 36th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard across from Big Allis, the name locals use for the massive power plant on the East River.
The brothers were arrested and investigators seized operational improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a partially constructed trip-wire IED, two loaded AR-15 style ghost guns, 9mm ghost gun pistols, 9mm 3D-printed ghost gun pistols, more than 600 rounds of ammunition for each of the firearms, body armor, high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, metal knuckles, a radio set to the frequency of the 114th Precinct in Astoria, nine pyrotechnic smoke bombs, a 3D printer and numerous notebooks containing instruction on the manufacture of explosive devices and anarchist related propaganda. A “hit list.” with “cops, judges, politicians, celebrities” and “banker scum” scrawled on it was also found in their apartment.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the weapons and improvised bombs seized at the brother’s apartment could have caused untold harm. Courtesy of DA’s office
Upon execution of the search warrant at the apartment building, members of the NYPD Bomb Squad were called to respond and subsequently evacuated the building due to the discovery of the live IEDs.
“These defendants possessed untraceable weapons and improvised bombs capable of causing untold harm,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “Thanks to the proactive investigative work of my Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau, lives were saved.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino set the defendant’s next court date for June 2, at which point Andrew Hatziagelis is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison and Angelo Hatziagelis is expected to be sentenced to four years in prison, each to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
“I express my gratitude to our partners in the NYPD, Homeland Security, and State Police for helping to bring these defendants to justice.”
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