Suffolk County man charged with ghost gun possession after restaurant inspection

A routine State Liquor Authority compliance check at a Brentwood restaurant turned into a weapons case when authorities say Andres Cabrera-Sanchez fled to the basement of La Costa Catracha Restaurant and tossed a dark metal object behind sheetrock.

Prosecutors in Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney’s office said the 25-year-old Honduras national was indicted April 16, 2026, after officers recovered a loaded, unserialized semiautomatic pistol assembled with a Polymer 80 frame and a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds. That kind of weapon is commonly called a ghost gun because it lacks a serial number, making it far harder for police to trace if it is used in a crime.

The arrest happened during an April 4 compliance check at the restaurant at 739 Suffolk Ave. in Brentwood involving Suffolk County police, the New York State Liquor Authority, the Town of Islip Fire Marshal and the town building inspector. Police said six people were arrested that day, and the fire marshal deemed the establishment unsafe for occupancy.

Investigators said Cabrera-Sanchez was also found with cocaine after his arrest. A search warrant tied to the narcotics probe was later executed at a residence at 210 Broadway in Brentwood, widening the case beyond the restaurant itself and showing how a licensing inspection can expose broader public-safety and drug-enforcement issues.

Cabrera-Sanchez was arraigned before County Court Judge Bryan Browns on April 16 and ordered held on $100,000 cash bail, $200,000 bond or a $1,000,000 partially secured bond. If convicted on the top count, he faces up to 15 years in prison. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency also lodged an immigration detainer to take custody of him after the case.

Suffolk County police said Detective Patrick Casiano of the Third Squad carried out the investigation, and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Moran of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau is prosecuting the case. The same inspection also led to eight field appearance tickets for restaurant owner Wilmer Mendez-Barrera, and employee Keshawn Matthews was cited for allegedly working as an unlicensed security guard while wearing an imitation tactical vest and possessing an imitation firearm.