Long Island man accused of building ghost guns in his basement

A Long Island man was charged Thursday with building illegal guns in his home. 

The Nassau County District Attorney says Wen-Lone Chou stockpiled parts and then tested the guns he built in a makeshift shooting range in his basement. 

An alleged online buying flurry of more than 110 gun parts in a year by 67-year-old Chou tipped off a multi-agency task force, according to authorities. On Tuesday, they executed a search warrant, and allegedly found a fully built, non-traceable ghost gun and nine other firearms. 

"Assault rifles, a revolver ... five completed lower frames for handguns and an AR-style weapon," Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said. 

Donnelly said the guns were in all stages of construction. 

Authorities also allegedly recovered 6,000 rounds of ammunition as well as high capacity magazines, which were stored in the bathroom ceiling, along with a device called a "Glock switch." 

"This tiny item right here can turn these firearms into machine guns," Donnelly said. "It makes an already deadly weapon a weapon of mass killing." 

Chou's neighbors said they heard nothing from outside his home on Marcellus Street in Mineola. The house backs against two school yards. 

"Even more terrifying is this illegal, dangerous activity was happening steps away from several schools," Donnelly said. "He had a birds-eye view of Chaminade High School." 

Donnelly said the evidence collected in the search warrant may shed light on his motives or plans for the guns, adding that there's no evidence he sold any of them.   

Chou was required to surrender his passport, and posted $250,000 bail.   

"He's got no criminal history whatsoever," Chou's attorney Gerard McCloskey said. 

McCloskey said Chou, a married father of three adult children, ran a computer repair business. 

Neighbors, who know him by first name of Philip, were shocked. 

"Kind people. Easy to talk to. Very affable. It's just kind of a bizarre thing," neighbor Dan Russelman said.