Demon Knights member on LI charged with stealing, illegally possessing guns

A member of the notorious Demon Knights motorcycle gang has been charged with stealing four handguns from a Merrick sporting goods store and illegally possessing at least three other firearms.

Prosecutors say Frederick John Miller, 35, of Lake Grove stole a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum on Thursday from behind the sales counter at South Shore Sportsman on Lansdowne Avenue before walking out.

Employees stopped Miller and called police, who found he'd swiped three other handguns from the shop, including a .44-caliber revolver and a .22 Magnum, according to court papers.

Inside Miller's 2013 Infiniti G-Series coupe, police found more unlicensed guns, including a North American Arms .22-caliber revolver, a loaded Colt semiautomatic .380-caliber pistol, and a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver, court records say. They also allegedly found 25 illegal prescription pills in his pocket.

Miller was charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and drug possession.

At his arraignment Saturday in First District Court in Hempstead, he was ordered held in jail on $60,000 bond or $30,000 cash bail. His lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Demon Knights are a subchapter of the Hells Angels, whose presence on Long Island goes back at least two decades, authorities said.

Dozens of biker gang members have been arrested on the Island in recent years, charged with crimes ranging from weapons possession and murder to drug trafficking and assault.

Biker gangs were thrust into the national spotlight May 17 when a shootout involving rival gang members left nine people dead in Waco, Texas.