Police are seeking the public’s help with information after Nazi paraphernalia and a bomb-making manual were found during a raid in Mount Sinai early Thursday.
At 6 a.m. on Miller Place Middle Island Road, just before it merges into Mt. Sinai-Coram Road and Miller Place Road, brothers Edward and Sean Perkowski were arrested after authorities executing a search warrant uncovered 10 assault rifles, a hand gun, high capacity magazines, a shotgun, a stun gun, more than $40,000 in cash, marijuana, illegal mushrooms, Nazi material and a manual on how to make bomb. The Nazi-related material included framed photos of Adolf Hitler, Nazi flags with swastikas and books on white supremacy.
Edward Perkowski, 29, currently faces drugs and weapon charges, and Sean, 25, was charged with an outstanding warrant.
“This was a public threat on multiple fronts,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said. “We have two individuals who clearly subscribe to a hateful, violent ideology, who had an illegal arsenal at their fingertips.”
Although unable to discuss the details of the case as the investigation is still ongoing, such as if an event to use the arsenal of weapons was planned, whether they’ve been cooperative or if they were working alone or as part of a group, Sini said the department is currently working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is made up of local police department and federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Today’s search warrant might have prevented a deadly, violent incident, like the one we recently saw in Orlando,” Sini said. “I have a message to the residents of Suffolk County: The Suffolk County Police Department will do everything in its power to ensure your safety. We can only do our job most effectively if we have your cooperation and your collaboration.”
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said he’s never seen such coordinated police activity in all his years as an elected official, in regard to going after drug dealers and those promoting hate. He said the latter is what is of the utmost importance in this given case.
“Obviously this was a drug house, but drugs were only part of the problem,” he said. “This was a house infected with that disease called hate, and we want to stop hate in this country. There’s enough of it, and we’ve seen what hate can do and how it can destroy and hurt our nation.”
John Leonard, a neighbor who has lived two houses down for 18 years, said there was a brawl out in front of the home a couple of months ago, and 911 was called. When he saw the public police report following the search warrant, he went to police headquarters to offer his help.
“I’ve never spoke to them, we keep our distance,” he said. “There’s four or five cars parked in front [of the house] at all times and constant cars coming in and out. I had my car broken into in the driveway about a year ago. My neighbors had the same thing. We found prescription medication laying out in the street a couple of months ago. It wasn’t too hard to figure out something is going on.”
What he said horrified him, though, was the large bomb-making manual found, which included hand-written and printed out material.
“That scares the hell out of me,” he said. “That takes it to a whole new level.”
Sini also said he is concerned.
“To think that this was in the Town of Brookhaven is extremely disturbing and the police department, the brave men and women of this department, will stop at nothing to neutralize threats like this,” he said.
While Sini cannot say what pointed the department in the direction of the home, the commissioner explained it took time to get probable cause to establish a case, and tips from residents have been instrumental in much of the police’s recent findings. He said more than 600 tips on drug homes and drug spots in local communities have come through the 631-852-NARC hotline, which Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) was instrumental in launching.
“We need to use our most vital resource, and that is the residents of Suffolk County,” Anker said. “We need to have a safer environment, but we need that information from the public.”
To report any information regarding the suspects from the Mount Sinai case, call 800-220-TIPS.
“We took two dangerous individuals off the street and we’ll fully investigate and prosecute this case,” Sini said. “We’ll spare no cost and no time. The fact that this is in our backyard is very concerning. That’s why the message today is to the public. Regarding criminal activity, please call the tips hotline or 911 immediately.”
