LONG ISLAND, NY — A long-term investigation uncovered a gun trafficking operation — the largest ghost gun seizure in the county’s history — that was run by a man out of his Long Island home, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney announced Wednesday.
The investigation, conducted by Tierney’s office in partnership with the police department, resulted in the indictment of Daniel Probeck, 35, of Medford, for first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and several related charges, for selling and illegally possessing firearms at his home, prosecutors said.
“This defendant was not simply a firearms collector, he is alleged to have manufactured and sold illegal firearms,” Tierney said. “This defendant is alleged to have been building and selling illegal weapons for profit.”
He applauded the work of investigators for “getting this source of illegal weapons off the street.”
Probeck pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip and was ordered held on $500,000, $2,000,000 bond, $3,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of his case.
If convicted on the top count, he faces 25 years in prison followed by five years post-release supervision.
Probeck’s attorney, John Loturco of Huntington, said his client is the father of two children, who has been with his wife for 17 years.
He has no criminal convictions, is a lifelong Suffolk resident, and has been a member of the steamfitters union for 12 years, according to Loturco.
“We entered a plea of not guilty to the Indictment, and we will meticulously scrutinize the evidence by reviewing the discovery to assess our strategy going forward,” he added.
Beginning in March 2025, investigators launched a probe of Probeck for illegally selling the ghost guns, which are unserialized, illegal guns, in the county, according to prosecutors.
Probeck sold multiple firearms, including four firearms, three of which were assault rifles, to an undercover police officer on multiple occasions in exchange for cash, and on June 12, he was arrested and a search warrant was executed at his home, prosecutors said.
During the search, investigators recovered more than 100 firearms, including alleged assault weapons equipped with cosmetic and accessory features banned in New York, such as threaded barrels, pistol grips, telescoping stocks, collapsible stocks, flash suppressors, and other after-market components, according to prosecutors.
There was also a variety of ammunition recovered, along with 67 sound suppressors, 12 three-dimensional printers, and an assortment of unfinished gun components and tools used to manufacture weapons, prosecutors said.
In addition to the first-degree criminal sale of a firearm charge, he also faces one count each of first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal sale of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon, as well as four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to prosecutors.
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