HARLEM — A Rochester man the NYPD arrested for criminal possession of four loaded guns is legally permitted to carry firearms in the state but not the city, DNAinfo New York has learned.
Daniel Figueroa, 45, was arrested by officers in the 32nd Precinct for talking on his cell phone while driving along 145th Street Sunday, but during the stop he admitted to carrying three loaded handguns on his person and another in the car.
The NYPD touted it as a "Good Arrest" and charged Figueroa with 10 counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
The precinct even tweeted a picture of Figueroa’s guns saying, “Carstop (sic) yesterday leads to recovery of 4 guns.”
However, Figueroa has valid permits to carry guns in North Carolina, where he used to live, and in upstate Rochester, where he was in the process of moving at the time of the arrest, according to a law enforcement source.
Gun permits from upstate counties in New York are valid in every county except New York City. In order to lawfully carry a gun in the city, the applicant must submit an application with the NYPD, according to the New York State Police.
Because Figueroa was in the process of moving and has permits in his previous and current residents, prosecutors chose to only charge him with misdemeanor offenses, a law enforcement source said.
Figueroa was charged with one count of failure to carry a firearm license, driving with a suspended license, and talking on the phone while driving. He was released on his own recognizance, records show.
Figueroa did not immediately respond to a voicemail.
It is not clear if the NYPD returned the firearms. Police did not respond to questions about the arrest.
