June 10, 2000

DA BROWN: STUN GUNS SEIZED FROM MAIN STREET FLUSHING OFFICE AFTER ARREST OF SUBWAY STUNNER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of a Flushing man at his Main Street Flushing store for the possession and sale of electronic stun guns and other weapons after a man attacked a woman with a stun gun at the Queens Plaza stop on the F line June 4th , 2000.

District Attorney Brown said: "These weapons are prohibited by the penal law of the State of New York because they have no other purpose than to inflict pain. Whether they are used by criminals to subdue victims or by innocent people hoping to protect themselves, they only make a dangerous situation worse."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Jian Ping-Li, 47, of 140-50 Ash Avenue, Flushing. He is charged with possession and sale of electronic stun guns and firearms as well as 21 counts of criminal possession of a weapon which carries a maximum 2 year penalty or a fine. He was scheduled to be arraigned last evening in Queens Criminal Court.

According to the District Attorney, an arrest was made by transit police on June 4th of an individual who assaulted a woman he thought was harassing him at the Queens Plaza stop of the F Train. He was charged with assault in the second degree, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon after he shot his victim with a taser dart which caused a puncture wound in her chest during an argument. A receipt was recovered from the defendant at the time of arrest. Detectives visited the store Kingsland International at 36-09 Main Street, Flushing and purchased a Taser electronic stun gun despite the fact that the box the gun was in stated on the label that sales were restricted in New York since 1/1/1999. Following that purchase they applied for a search warrant and returned to the store where the defendant Jian Ping-Li showed them an array of illegal weapons for sale. They recovered 21 stun guns, 17 air pistols, 7 air rifles, 1 automobile Taser (to be attached to the steering wheel of a car to stun thieves), a Taser rod, and other weapons.

The investigation was carried out by Lt. William McGuire, Commander of Queens Robbery, along with Sgt. Scott Guginsky, and Detectives Sal Innello and Anthony Flynn.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Connelly and Anthony Communiello, Chief of the District Attorney Brown's Civil Enforcement Bureau, are in charge of the cases. They received assistance from Assistant District Attorneys James Evangelou and Brad Leventhal.

It should be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.