Queens brothers had 'hit list' with 'cops, judges, politicians, celebrities' on it, DA says

ASTORIA, Queens (PIX11) – A "hit list" with “cops, judges, politicians" and "celebrities” scribbled on it was discovered along with a weapons arsenal including homemade explosives and ghost guns inside an apartment shared by two brothers in Queens, authorities said.

Andrew Hatziagelis, 39, and Angelo Hatziagelis, 51, were arrested and indicted on 130 counts of criminal possession of a weapon and related charges after an arsenal of weapons was found inside their apartment on 36th Avenue in Astoria, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

The brothers first became the subject of an investigation about six months ago when they allegedly started buying ghost gun parts online. The brothers were arrested after law enforcement executed a search warrant on their apartment on Jan. 17, authorities said.

Inside the apartment, the brothers’ weapons arsenal included eight operational improvised explosive devices (IEDs), one partially constructed trip-wire IED, assault weapons and pistols constructed from ghost gun materials, nine pyrotechnic smoke bombs, body armor and more than 600 rounds of ammunition, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. There were also notebooks containing bomb-making instructions and anarchist-related materials, authorities said.

"This cache of weapons – including explosives and untraceable, 3D-printed ghost guns – had the potential to wreak horrendous carnage," NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement.

After the live IEDs were discovered inside the apartment, members of the NYPD Bomb Squad were called in and evacuated the building, authorities said.

"Had one of those IEDs detonated, it would likely have resulted in a shockwave that would have detonated the remaining explosives," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said at a press conference Monday.

The brothers' “hit list” also included the words “corporate scum,” “bankerscum” and “wipe out the scum wipe out the earth,” according to a photo shared by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

"These, in our assessment, contained symbols and iconography consistent with numerous conspiracy theories as well as anti-government, anti-authority extremist ideology, which is on the rise and has been over the past couple of years," said Rebecca Weiner, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism for the NYPD.

Andrew Hatziagelis and Angelo Hatziagelis each face up to 25 years in prison. Their next court date is Feb. 15.