A Bayside man who expressed racist, sexist and anti-Semitic sentiments online pleaded guilty Friday to purchasing illegal guns, after he bought several weapons with obliterated serial numbers from undercover FBI agents in May 2020.
Joseph Miner, 30, faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the possessing a firearm with obliterated serial numbers charge on Friday, Jan. 22, according to the office of the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Miner, along with his Bayside neighbor Daniel Jou, purchased several guns with destroyed serial numbers, including two military-grade assault rifles, from two undercover FBI agents in a hotel room near LaGuardia Airport on May 12, according to the criminal complaint.
Miner and Jou, who together bought and AR-15-style gun with a silencer, a Mossberg 500 shotgun, an M&P Shiled model 9 mm semi automatic piston, a fully automatic Colt M4 assault rifle and a Glock 19 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, were arrested promptly after leaving the hotel.
Miner, who posted racist and degrading remarks towards Black people, Jewish people and women on his Instagram account, allegedly initiated contact with the undercover agents, asking to purchase guns through an encrypted messaging service, according to the feds.
The Bayside man told the undercover feds that the guns were needed to participate in a race war, writing that he would like to “die a hero,” after shooting cops, “Africans” and Pakistani people, federal prosecutors said.
“With today’s guilty plea, Miner has been held accountable and faces a prison sentence for possessing an illegal firearm with obliterated serial numbers that he purchased from an undercover agent,” said acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme. “This office, together with our federal and local partners, is working tirelessly to prevent illegal firearms from endangering our community.”
This story first appeared on our sister publication qns.com.
