Some of the firepower seized
SAUGERTIES – Following disturbing social media postings that ranted
about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two Columbine killers in 1999,
Connor Chargois, an 18-year-old senior at Saugerties High School, has
been arrested.
At the time he was interviewed on February 21 by Saugerties Police and
State Police BCI, Connor Chargois admitted that he wrote the posts, but
denied possessing any firearms. His father, 58-year-old Bruce Chargois,
also denied that he owned any firearms and that neither did his son. He
also said there were no firearms in their house.
Those statements were not consistent with other information police had
discovered in the investigation, Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra
said on Wednesday.
Bruce Chargois
Connor Chargois
On Tuesday, February 27, during an interview by detectives with Bruce
Chargois, they learned he had firearms in his home and that he had removed
them immediately after being interviewed by police.
Chargois took police to his place of business, Greco Brothers Amusement
Co. at 3 Glasco Turnpike where he showed detectives where he had hidden
fire firearms including a fully automatic 9mm Uzi and an AR15 assault
rifle.
Investigators then executed a warrant search at the men’s home at
5 Sawyerkill Terrace home in the Village of Saugerties where they found
a quantity of ammunition of varying calibers, homemade knives, machine
fabricated gun parts, a prototype of a firearm that Connor Chargois admitted
he had been manufacturing in the basement of the house, in addition to
a number of completed homemade firearms in both .22 and 9mm caliber capacities
were located.
As a result of the investigation, police charged Bruce Chargois with two
counts of felony criminal possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor of obstructing
governmental administration, resulting from the removal of the illegal
firearms from his home and hiding them in his workplace.
His son, Connor, was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon
and police said other charges or possible, pending completion of the investigation
as additional search warrants were being executed on Wednesday.
Both men were arraigned with Bruce being released on his own recognizance
and Connor being remanded to the Ulster County Jail in lieu of $10,000
cash bail, which he has posted.
An order of protection was issued on behalf of the Saugerties school district.
Participating in the investigation along with Saugerties Police were the
State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, Ulster County District
Attorney’s Office, ATF and the State Police Intelligence Center.
Sinagra said the investigation is an example of how community members,
school district administrators and law enforcement authorities and law
enforcement authorities can effectively work together when everyday people
become involved.”
He said, “Had it not been for the initial reporting of this event
by the individuals whom had seen the original post, who knows what the
end result could have been.”
Saugerties Superintendent of Schools Seth Turner said the mantra, “If
you see something – say something” worked.
He noted an anonymous tip was shared with a teacher who alerted school
administration, who brought it to the school resource officer.”
Turner said he hopes “the community is safer as a result of the
collaborative efforts of the school and police.”
