Authorities stopped a Westchester County man’s automobile with swastikas and anti-Israel inscriptions and detained him for illegal possession of a firearm holding a loaded semi-automatic rifle, prosecutors said.
An individual from Westchester County was taken into custody for illegally possessing guns. (Source: Greenwich Time)
Westchester County Man Detained
Authorities claimed Elmsford resident Hani Saleh, 47, was arrested Wednesday in White Plains after police recovered possession of a firearm in the form of a handgun in his car after a traffic stop. Saleh informed police he was “trying to educate the public to the true events in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas,” a criminal complaint stated. A semi-automatic gun with ten 40 caliber rounds was recovered under his driver’s seat, according to prosecutors. According to images from the complaint released by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, his Volkswagen Passat had a Star of David and swastika entwined and an American flag with the white Nazi emblem instead of 50 stars.
Other photographs depicted Saleh’s vehicle emblazoned with the American and Israeli flags and the inscriptions “New ISIS” and “Hamas resistance is not terrorism.” A social media snapshot of the same car shows a Palestinian flag on top. In the lawsuit, police said Saleh was stopped at various Westchester locales due to his car’s writings and depictions and was in communication with the FBI last week. I’m trying to inform the people about the Israel-Hamas fight. According to him, President Biden is a Zionist and he will drive to DC to protest the war. White Plains police said Saleh was stopped for painting his windshield. Authorities say the pistol was found after the automobile was seized for a phony license plate.
District Attorney Mimi Rocah expressed gratitude to federal and local law enforcement partners for collaborating quickly to seize the unlawful firearm and apprehend this criminal. The district attorney said he was charged Thursday in White Plains City Court on second-degree criminal possession of a firearm, a felony. Upon remand, his court date was Nov. 2.
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