Thomas Saxton pleads guilty after guns found in East Rockaway home

An East Rockaway man pleaded guilty Wednesday to Nassau County weapons charges after he threatened to kill his wife at a children's hospital in Queens in 2022, prosecutors said.

Thomas Saxton pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal possession of a weapon after prosecutors searched his home and found loaded handguns, assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.

Queens County prosecutors said Saxton went to Cohen Children's Medical Center in the Queens neighborhood of Glen Oaks near the Nassau border in February 2022 and pulled a gun on his wife while she was holding their 2-year-old child. Authorities said Saxton said he would kill her in front of everyone at the hospital. Prosecutors said he walked outside the hospital where he called his wife and again threatened her, saying he would kill her in her sleep.

He was arrested in the parking lot of the hospital where he was found with two loaded handguns, a magazine of bullets and cocaine.

“Thomas Saxton threatened to kill his wife at a hospital in Queens and it was later discovered that he was hoarding illegal weapons — including ghost guns and assault rifles — in his East Rockaway home,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “Untraceable ghost guns are particularly problematic for law enforcement investigations, and this defendant had seven loaded ghost guns and parts in his home.

Nassau County police searched Saxton's East Rockaway home where they recovered seven ghost gun handguns; two assault rifles, one of which was a ghost gun; more than 60 high-capacity magazines; ammunition; and ghost gun parts.

Saxton pleaded guilty in October in the Queens case to criminal possession of a weapon.

His plea Wednesday, was to the top count as part of a 31-count Nassau County grand jury's indictment. He is expected to be sentenced to seven years in prison Jan. 18 in the Nassau case, shortly after his next hearing in the Queens case.

Saxton's attorney, Joseph LoPiccolo said Saxton took responsibility for his actions.

“He maintains he was not the sole person to possess those guns, which does not negate his guilt, and will accept the penalty promised to him by the judge after a review of the evidence presented against him, as well as mitigating factors presented,” LoPiccolo said Thursday evening.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.