Attorney: Marc Ringel's Woodmere arsenal 'a hobby'

A man charged with stashing an arsenal of guns and explosives at his elderly parents' Woodmere home was engaging in "a hobby that got out of control" as he was going through personal difficulties, his defense attorney said Thursday.

Through his lawyer, Marc J. Ringel pleaded not guilty and was ordered jailed without bail on three felony charges for the firearms, grenades, pipe bombs and explosive chemicals that police say they found in the home Tuesday. If convicted, he could face 25 years in prison.

"There is no evil intent here . . . going on in Woodmere," said Ringel's lawyer, Saul Bienenfeld. "It just doesn't exist. This is a hobby that got out of control."

After their son was ordered jailed, Abe and Ruth Ringel left First District Court in Hempstead escorted by court officers and ignoring reporters' shouted questions. The couple had just returned from Florida, where they had been spending the winter.

A law enforcement source said Ringel -- staying in the two-story home on Narrow Lane while they were away -- left a scattering of notes attempting to protect them in the event authorities found the cache of weapons and explosives.

"They found notes around the home where he took responsibility for everything," the source said.

Bienenfeld confirmed that police found Ringel's notes but declined to comment on their contents.

Authorities and Bienenfeld said Ringel has no known ties to terrorism.

Police said Ringel had enough explosives in the house to destroy it, and possibly the entire block as well, but Bienenfeld said his client had no violent intentions.

"He's a 53-year-old man who's going through a terrible divorce. He has problems with child custody issues and has been pretty much dealing with his issues by trying to get into the antique auction gun business," the lawyer said.

Police responding to a silent burglar alarm Tuesday afternoon came upon Ringel standing in the driveway of the home. He had no acceptable identification but opened the door to the home with a key, police said.

Cops saw a semiautomatic weapon and two hand grenades and smelled a strong odor of marijuana, police said. Ringel was arrested, and the police evacuated 20 nearby homes.

Federal agents and Nassau police later found 15 pipe bombs, 15 improvised grenades, 100 handguns, 20 long guns, and about 50 pounds of ingredients that could be used to make explosives, police said.

Ringel had broken into the home without permission while his parents were away, prosecutor Christine Geier said. Bienenfeld denied that.

Outside court, Bienenfeld questioned the legality of the police search of the home, but declined to elaborate.

Police also say they found about 50 pounds of marijuana plants, but Ringel was not immediately charged in connection with the drugs.

Asked about the bombs and explosive material, Bienenfeld said: "If you look on the Internet you could easily find out how to make bombs. If you want to take that up as a hobby, everything [the components] can be sold legally," he said. "It's when you put it together that you have a problem." Not all the components were assembled, he said.

With Chau Lam, William Murphy and Kery Murakami