Ghost Gun Crackdown Nets Four Indictments and Removes 13 Guns From Rockland Streets

Four Rockland County residents have been indicted for illegally possessing “ghost guns,” or illegally possessed firearms, District Attorney Thomas Walsh II announced Thursday.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of three handguns and 10 assault rifles, all illegal to possess in New York.
Walsh said the bust was a direct result of a multi-agency investigation overseen by the Special Investigative Unit of the Rockland DA’s Office.

Charged with illegal possession of a weapon or firearm were Vandara Nguon, 34, of Pomona, Frank Wachausen, 55, of Nanuet, Fisnik Bajraktaraj, 35, of Congers, and Joseph Montenero, 30, of Congers.

Since January 2020, county police agencies investigated over 60 shootings/shots fired calls and Walsh said in light of those historically high violent acts, an intensive investigation was conducted by the DA’s office in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, FBI Safe Streets Unit, Westchester County Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and local police agencies.

Walsh said the four indictments are “only the beginning of the continual pursuit from this office to remove illegal firearms off our streets.”