Two Gun Dealers Busted for Illegal Sales in Hauppauge

Two Long Island gun dealers have been charged for selling firearms at a Hauppauge show without conducting background checks.

Alexander Lasurdo, of Wading River, and Sam Savino, of North Bellmore, were charged Nov. 30 with failure to conduct background checks at the Sept. 24 Long Island Gun Show held at the Local 25 International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker's hall on Motor Parkway in Hauppauge.

Newsday reported that the two Long Island gun dealers are among 10 across New York found to be selling firearms illegally as part of a eight-month sting dubbed "Operation Background Bust."

"The illegal sale of guns at gun shows endangers the public by giving felons, terrorists and the dangerously mentally ill an open and anonymous marketplace to buy guns without a background check," Schneiderman said in a news release. "Our investigators found a blatant disregard for the law where sellers made the conscious decision to sell deadly weapons to individuals who admitted they would not pass a background check."

The sting focused on six gun shows in New York, including the Sept. 24 gun show in Hauppauge at the Local 25 International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker's hall on Motor Parkway. Undercover state investigators, posing as guy buyers, told sellers they could not pass a background check due to orders of protection against them. Guns sold in the sting included three AR-15 assault rifles.

Read more about the illegal gun sales and "Operation Background Bust on Newsday.