Clarkstown, NY — Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced the arrest of two individuals following an investigation into illegal firearms in Rockland County.
In May, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office received information about an illegal firearm component being shipped to Nanuet, NY. Detectives from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Unit, who are also Federal Task Force Officers with the United States Department of Homeland Security, launched an investigation. With assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the US Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York, they discovered numerous illegal firearm parts had been shipped to a residence in Nanuet. The residents, Vivian Wu and Tao Zhang, the latter previously convicted of a felony in 2015, were identified as the recipients.
On July 2, a search warrant was executed at the Nanuet home by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. The search, conducted with the support of the New York Special Response Team, United States Postal Inspections Services, Clarkstown Police Department, New York State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, resulted in the discovery of two loaded and un-serialized semi-automatic handguns, three high-capacity magazines, five major firearm components, and a large quantity of un-serialized ghost gun parts. These firearms were found unsecured and within reach of two children, ages 7 and 9, living in the home.
Tao Zhang, 35, and Vivian Wu, 35, both of Nanuet, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of weapons and endangering the welfare of a child.
District Attorney Walsh emphasized the importance of the investigation, stating, “This investigation is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to combat illegal firearms in Rockland County. Working with our law enforcement partners on the federal level, a search warrant was executed that led to the discovery of firearms and a large quantity of parts to build firearms. The arrest of two individuals underscores the focus of my Office to keep the community safe from gun violence. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local level to ensure that illegal firearms are removed from our streets and that those who possess them are held accountable.”
