What Happened
Nassau County police arrested three men on Friday, August 1, 2026, after officers on routine patrol spotted them unloading a large wooden crate and transferring multiple rifles between vehicles in the parking lot of the Home Depot on Jericho Turnpike in Jericho, according to News 12 Long Island. Nassau police released information about the Friday incident publicly on Sunday, August 3.
The three men identified by authorities are Gilberto Rivera Lopez of New Cassel, Rudi W. Rivera Lopez of Central Islip, and Manuel Gutierrez Pineda of New Cassel. All three were arrested following an investigation that began the moment officers observed the suspicious transfer of firearms in the open parking lot.
In addition to the multiple rifles seen being moved between vehicles, News 12 Long Island reports that police recovered thousands of rounds of ammunition, three machetes, knives, and suspected cocaine. Officers also discovered a forged Social Security card among the evidence seized.
Following the arrests, investigators determined that Pineda had entered the country illegally. He was subsequently transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. As News 12 Long Island reported, the brazenness of the operation drew immediate reaction from local residents. Westbury resident Stephen Mentovay said: “It’s just crazy to do something like that in front of people. It’s almost like they wanted to be caught. It’s usually a pretty tame area.” Manhasset resident Kevin Driscoll, who was shopping at the Home Depot the following Sunday morning when news of the arrests circulated, told News 12: “As a citizen of Nassau County, I am concerned. I’m glad to hear we have apprehended the people and they are being processed.”
Location & Road Context
The Home Depot on Jericho Turnpike sits along one of Nassau County’s busiest commercial corridors, a stretch of Jericho Turnpike that handles heavy retail and commuter traffic daily. The Jericho area has seen a range of incidents in recent weeks, including a prior arrest in Jericho on July 30 and a westbound LIE lane closure due to flooding on July 27. The parking lot’s high foot traffic during weekend shopping hours made the open transfer of firearms particularly conspicuous to the officers who happened upon the scene.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Gilberto Rivera Lopez faces the most serious charge slate of the three: six counts of failure to safely store firearms, criminal possession of a controlled substance, loitering, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a forged instrument — the last charge linked to the forged Social Security card recovered at the scene. Rudi W. Rivera Lopez and Manuel Gutierrez Pineda are each charged with four counts of failure to safely store firearms, criminal possession of a controlled substance, loitering, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Pineda was transferred to ICE custody after investigators confirmed he had entered the United States illegally. The Nassau County Police Department released details of the Friday arrests on Sunday, and the investigation is ongoing. No arraignment dates or bail figures had been publicly released at the time of reporting.
Broader Impact
The open, daylight transfer of rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition from a large wooden crate in a busy Nassau County retail parking lot underscores the reach of illegal weapons trafficking on Long Island — a persistent concern for law enforcement across the region. Criminal possession of a weapon charges in New York can carry significant prison exposure depending on the specific weapon classification and prior record, and the added federal dimension of the ICE transfer in this case means Pineda faces potential immigration consequences on top of any state criminal penalties.