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Man Who Stockpiled Arsenal at Rego Park Apartment Pleads Guilty, DA Says

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 5, 2016 6:02pm
 Guo Shou, 34, was arrested on Feb. 8 after authorities discovered a small arsenal at his one-bedroom apartment in Rego Park.
Guo Shou, 34, was arrested on Feb. 8 after authorities discovered a small arsenal at his one-bedroom apartment in Rego Park.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — A Rego Park man charged with keeping a small arsenal in his one-bedroom apartment has pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon and faces two years in prison, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced Wednesday.

Guo Shou, 34, was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon on Feb. 8 after authorities discovered a cache of weapons — including 14 licensed handguns, 225 pounds of gunpowder, more than 45,000 rounds of multi-caliber ammunition, bullet-making equipment, assault rifles and bulletproof vests — in his apartment at 65-60 Wetherole St., police said at the time.

The building is located less than two blocks from P.S. 139.

“The amount of gunpowder recovered in the defendant’s apartment alone was capable of igniting and causing significant damage to not only the defendant’s apartment but to neighboring apartments and the building’s exterior walls, as well as injuring or killing anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity,” Brown said in a statement.

Shou pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminal possession of a weapon before Judge Gia Morris at Queens Supreme Court, who indicated she will sentence Shou to two years in prison, followed by two years of post-release supervision.

The weapons were discovered when officers conducted a routine administrative pistol licensee review at Shou's apartment, the Queens DA's office said.

During the visit, prosecutors said, the officers saw the gunpowder, an assault rifle and ammunition laying in plain sight.

The weapons were seized later after a court-authorized search warrant was executed at Shou’s residence, Brown said.

The DA said that, according to the charges, Shou did not have a federal firearms license as a gun dealer and is not licensed to sell or manufacture firearms or ammunition. 

None of the items seized at the apartment will be returned to Shou, Brown said.

It's unclear why he kept the weapons in his apartment.

His sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 7, according to Brown.

Shou's attorney declined to comment.