A North Massapequa man pleaded guilty to drug and weapon charges for illegally possessing more than a dozen firearms and a pound of cocaine found during a search warrant executed at his residence after the defendant had fired dozens of shots out of his basement apartment, striking neighboring homes.
On August 20, 2023, at approximately 12:45 a.m., Steven Frigand fired dozens of shots from the basement apartment of 2 Sussex Avenue in North Massapequa. Several of the shots hit a house behind the 2 Sussex address, and many others tore through a fence and hit a different house next door to the address. Two of the bullets entered the home next door, one of which narrowly missed a child asleep in his bed and the homeowner who had gone to check on the child.
When police arrived at the scene, Frigand was in the basement and refused to come out for more than an hour despite police orders. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center once he exited the home.
A search warrant executed on the basement of the home later that day recovered:
- 18 weapons, including six assault rifles, seven additional rifles, four shotguns and a revolver
- 40 high-capacity magazines
- Hundreds of rounds of ammunition
- Multiple shell casings, bullets, and bullet fragments
- More than 27 ounces of cocaine and drug paraphernalia
Frigand, 58, was arrested in North Massapequa by members of the Nassau County Police Department on August 20, 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024 before Judge Robert Bogle to first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a Class A-I felony); two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a Class C violent felony); and first-degree reckless endangerment (a Class D felony) in satisfaction of the indictment. He is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison on September 25, 2024.
“In a quiet residential neighborhood, without a thought to the terror and danger his actions would create, Steven Frigand unleashed a hail of gunfire from his basement apartment striking several homes,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “The defendant’s thoughtless and cavalier behavior put a child in harm’s way, when a bullet tore through the young boy’s bedroom as he slept. A further search of the defendant’s living space returned more than a dozen illegal guns, including deadly assault rifles, and half a kilogram of cocaine. Illegal firearms can surface anywhere, and with our law enforcement partners we will continue to ensure individuals who unlawfully keep caches of dangerous weapons are held accountable.”