Burrillville firearms suspect held pending judge’s decision

BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Burrillville man will keep on being at the Wyatt Detention Middle as a choose considers regardless of whether there are disorders of his launch that would maintain the community protected.

Ronald Andruchuk, 37, was arrested past 7 days subsequent a disturbance at his home that led to the seizure of 211 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Prosecutors claimed Andruchuk at the time was donning what he referred to as his “battle belt,” which contained a beat knife, four handguns, ammunition and a plastic baggie of methamphetamine.

Assistant U.S. Lawyer Sandra Hebert is seeking to quit a decide from releasing Andruchuk, arguing that he is still a risk to the neighborhood.

Brokers say the guns by itself weren’t the challenge, but also the reality that Andruchuk lied about his record of drug use when acquiring the firearms and that they weren’t stored safely in his home.

Hebert revealed in a court submitting on Wednesday that Andruchuk purchased a amount of “ghost gun kits” on-line and experienced presently assembled numerous of them.

At the federal amount, it is not illegal to buy a single of all those kits on line, in accordance to Hebert, but they are unlawful in Rhode Island.

They are also illegal for an individual who has a historical past of drug use and possession.

Hebert argued that even if Andruchuk was prohibited from getting new guns, he could perhaps invest in them on-line. Prosecutors said he lied on his affidavit when paying for the guns stating he did not have a history of drug use.

Prosecutors declare Andruchuk beforehand admitted to possessing a material abuse issue when he was arrested in Cranston back again in 2018.

Choose Jack McConnell recurring several times that this circumstance is “mind-boggling” for quite a few causes. He questioned why someone would possess that lots of firearms if they weren’t for malicious intent.

Defense Legal professional Kevin Fitzgerald explained it’s a hobby and that Andruchuk is a collector, including that 200 guns may seem like a large amount in New England, but his colleagues in Montana would not bat an eye at that.

In response, McConnell explained this is not taking spot in Montana.

This incident was not the first time officers responded to Andruchuk’s property. Prosecutors claimed it was the ninth time in modern months they’d paid him a take a look at following neighbors complained he was taking pictures weapons throughout all hours of the day.

Andruchuk has been billed with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, earning wrong statements in an software to order firearms, and producing false records to be kept by a federally licensed firearms seller.

McConnell asked the defense what a prospective scenario would be for Andruchuk’s launch and Fitzgerald explained his customer could be ordered not to acquire guns in suppliers or on the web.

The decide reported he would require time to take into account equally sides and no matter whether there is a way Andruchuk can be unveiled devoid of currently being a danger to the community. Right until a conclusion is manufactured, Andruchuk will remain in custody.

A man who claims to be Andruchuk’s cousin by means of relationship is disputing claims created by neighbors to police that rounds of ammunition coming from his Tarkiln Highway property ended up landing on their house.

“There is no evidence it came from him. If you study the property, there are numerous persons that shoot over there.”

Dan Bidondi is putting some blame on the federal authorities, declaring they really should have finished appropriate history checks.

“It is his fault for lying, we aren’t disagreeing with that, but the federal govt must have carried out their occupation,” Bidondi said. “Had they done their work, [Andruchuk] would have in no way experienced just one gun.”