North Massapequa man charged in weapons case almost struck sleeping child when he fired rifle from home, prosecutors say
A North Massapequa man accused of firing multiple rounds from a semi-automatic rifle out of his basement apartment Sunday morning nearly struck a sleeping child in a neighboring home, according to charging documents filed in Nassau County Criminal Court.
Steven Frigand, 57, pleaded not guilty to felony drug and weapons charges at his arraignment Monday morning before Nassau District Court Judge Michael Montesano. Bail was set at $2 million cash, $4 million bond or $20 million partially secured bond, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said.
“The defendant’s actions created a grave risk of death,” Nassau County police wrote in a felony complaint filed in District Court in Hempstead.
One bullet fired from a semi-automatic rifle entered the living room of a neighboring home on Sussex Avenue at about 12:45 a.m. and a second bullet landed at the foot of a child’s bed inside the same home, according to police. Six people were inside the home at the time the shots were fired, court records show.
More rounds struck the rear exterior of a home on neighboring Webster Avenue, where a woman was alone inside, the complaint states.
Frigand, who has two prior drug convictions, including a felony marijuana conviction from earlier this month, was found to be in possession of an array of guns and more than two pounds of cocaine packaged to be sold, police said. At the time of his arrest, Frigand, who did not immediately surrender to police, had a Springfield AR-15 and two 9mm pistols, according to the charging documents.
The court documents do not make clear why Frigand was firing a weapon and his Legal Aid attorney could not bereached for comment.
Police also found a safe with 14 additional guns inside the home, along with a large capacity ammunition feeding device and more than 18 rounds of ammunition.
Frigand faces a top charge of first-degree felony possession of a controlled substance, first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 18 counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 39 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two additional drug charges.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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