Lindenhurst man arrested after probation search finds 22 firearms behind false wall

Todd Pinnell, 54, of Lindenhurst was arrested after Suffolk County Probation officers executing a probation-condition search uncovered 22 firearms concealed behind a false wall in a basement closet at 49 Kane Street, police said. The search occurred at approximately 7:10 p.m. on Friday, March 6, and First Squad detectives responded to the scene.

Officials inventory the cache as eight assault rifles and 14 handguns, with the handguns described as 10 semi-automatic pistols and four revolvers, and multiple ammunition feeding devices recovered alongside the weapons. Charging documents reviewed by investigators indicate at least four of the recovered firearms are ghost guns, weapons without serial numbers, according to the complaint records.

Pinnell was taken into custody at the scene and held overnight at the Suffolk County Police First Precinct. He was arraigned the following day, Saturday, March 7, at the First District Court in Central Islip. A court photo from the arraignment shows Pinnell in Central Islip’s First District Court.

The Suffolk County Police Department and prosecutors filed a complaint listing a total of 47 felony counts against Pinnell. Several counts detailed in the charging paperwork include 22 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon for possession with a prior conviction and 15 counts of criminal possession of a firearm, along with counts for possession of ammunition feeding devices, third-degree criminal possession for assault weapon possession, a first-degree criminal possession count for possession of 10 or more firearms, and a second-degree criminal possession count for possession of five or more firearms.

A published variation in the charging breakdown lists 25 counts of criminal possession of a weapon alongside 15 counts of criminal possession of a firearm and ammunition feeding device charges; prosecutors and local police list the total felony count as 47. Court records and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office can confirm the final statutory language and numeric breakdown of counts.

Prosecutors told the court Pinnell has a prior weapons conviction from 2023. A police spokesperson said the prior convictions "were also weapons charges." The presence of prior weapons convictions is the basis for several of the third-degree possession counts filed in the complaint.

A standard legal notice accompanies the case record: "A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty." The investigation remains active as authorities reconcile the charging instrument and evidence seized during the probation search.