Ronkonkoma Sporting Goods Store Owner Illegally Sold Guns: SCDA

RIVERHEAD, NY — A Ronkonkoma sporting goods store owner has been indicted after prosecutors said he unlawfully possessed and sold weapons, including assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He also had several un-serialized lower receivers, which can be used to make ghost guns, authorities said.

Chester Pergan, 53, of St. James, who owns Chester’s Hunting & Fishing at 232 Ronkonkoma Ave., was charged with first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of second-degree criminal sale of a firearm, 36 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 13 counts of third-degree criminal sale of a firearm and 16 counts of criminal possession of a firearm, all felonies, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini, New York State Police and Suffolk County police said Thursday.

If convicted of the top count, Pergan faces up to 25 years in prison. He appeared in court Thursday and bail was set at $800,000 bond. He is due back in court Feb. 6.

"The amount of ammunition and assault weapons seized and recovered in connection with this case is alarming," Sini said. "I want to make it very clear: One of our top priorities in Suffolk County is to combat violent crime, and an integral part of that strategy is to take illegal guns off our streets, which is exactly what we did here."

Authorities searched Pergan's store Nov. 14, 2018, and found 116 illegal assault weapons, more than 80 illegal knives and 820 high-capacity magazines — including a loaded AK-47 near the front counter at the store, prosecutors said. Pergan also had numerous lower receivers without serial numbers, authorities said, which are legal in New York but can be used in assembling ghost guns.

Pergan maintained a federal gun license allowing him to sell rifles and shotguns, but he surrendered his state dealer's gun license four years ago, making it illegal for him to buy, have or sell assault weapons, prosecutors said. A valid state license would have allowed him to buy, have or sell assault weapons only out of state in accordance with other state laws or to certain members of law enforcement, the district attorney said.

Investigators found evidence that Pergan unlawfully bought weapons from non-New York retailers or distributors and illegally sold them to people who are not eligible to have assault weapons in New York. Detectives tried to find and inspect illegal weapons sold by Pergan between 2015 and 2018, leading to the recovery of 13 more illegal assault weapons, prosecutors said. One of them was sold by Pergan in 2017 to John Ligurgo III, of Coram, authorities said. In June 2018, prosecutors said Ligurgo used that gun to kill his 2-year-old son and himself in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

"What’s important to note is that on its surface, this store looked legitimate – it was right there in plain sight on the streets of Suffolk County – but what was really happening is that he was trafficking in illegal firearms," Sini said. "If that is not bad enough, we have demonstrable proof that in at least one of those instances, a gun he sold was used in a heinous crime."

Chester’s Hunting & Fishing was closed immediately following the search warrant in November 2018.

"He knew the rules and he intentionally violated them with no regard for the consequences of his actions," Sini said. "Because of the hard work of the Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police and the prosecutors on this case, Chester’s store has been closed and Mr. Pergan has since surrendered his federal firearms license. He is effectively out of business."