The Queens senior citizen who killed a would-be mugger throughout an early morning taking pictures reported to jail Wednesday to serve a four-year sentence for prison weapons possession.
Former Kew Gardens resident Charles Foehner was locked up on the Eric M Taylor Heart within the Bronx for his felony gun costs stemming from the Could 31, 2023, taking pictures, Queens District Legal professional Melinda Katz introduced on Wednesday.
The then-65-year-old was returning to his Queens Avenue residence at round 2 a.m. after shopping for a pack of cigarettes when he was confronted by a menacing Cody Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, 32, demanded that Foehner hand over a cigarette and his telephone.
The senior citizen, armed with a revolver, pulled the gun out and pointed it on the floor in an try to scare off the vagrant.
Gonzalez, who had an extended listing of earlier arrests and a historical past of psychological sickness, didn’t take the trace and lunged at Foehner with what the armed citizen believed was a knife, however was later dominated to be a pen.
In a defensive act, Foehner fired a shot, fatally hanging Gonzalez.
“He saved coming nearer and clearly he was going to assault me,” Foehner informed The Put up in December.
“I didn’t wish to damage anybody. He left me no selection,” he mentioned.
Constructing safety cameras captured the complete taking pictures, as Foehner known as 911 and cooperated with authorities.
Foehner was by no means charged with Gonzalez’s demise however through the investigation into the taking pictures, detectives found an “arsenal” of unregistered rifles, handguns, ammo and bulletproof vests in his Queens residence.
The day after the taking pictures, Foehner was arrested and charged with prison possession of a weapon.
Investigators uncovered 26 unlicensed and unregistered weapons, 13,000 rounds of ammunition and 152 massive capability feeding units inside Foehner’s residence, Katz mentioned.
Foehner’s arsenal
- Two .38-caliber Smith and Wesson pistols
- 4 .357-caliber Smith and Wesson revolvers
- Three 7.62 mm x 39 Norinco rifles
- Two 12-gauge Mossberg shotguns
- One .38-caliber Cobra revolver
- One .32-caliber Harrington and Richardson revolver
- One .32-caliber Beretta pistol
- One .22-caliber Browning pistol
- One .25-caliber Precision Small Components pistol
- One 9 mm Glock pistol
- One .45-caliber Glock pistol
- One .380 Auto Caliber Norinco pistol
- One .45-caliber Colt pistol
- One .22-caliber Ruger rifle
- One 30 Carbine Caliber Winchester rifle
- One 30-06 Ruger rifle
- One 5.56 x 45 mm caliber semi-automatic Norinco assault rifle
- One .357-caliber Magnum Colt
- 13,074 rounds of ammunition
- 152 massive capability feeding units, 10 of which have been loaded
- Two bulletproof vests
- One inoperable pistol
Katz’s workplace shared images of the recovered weapons stockpile Foehner says he collected over time, describing himself as a lifelong gun fanatic and a doomsday prepper.
“Till that evening, I by no means pointed a gun at anyone. I by no means needed to. I’m not a gun bully … I don’t need energy over anybody,” Foehner mentioned, including, “I consider within the social contract.”
The retired doorman, who moved to Pennsylvania after the taking pictures, made a cope with prosecutors and pleaded responsible to 1 depend of prison weapons in November.
On Wednesday, Queens Supreme Court docket Justice Toni Cimino formally sentenced Foehner to 4 years in jail.
After his sentence, Foehner will serve 5 years of post-release supervision.
He used his final weeks of freedom visiting family and friends and spending time together with his devoted spouse, Jenny Foehner-Pace, and his 8-year-old canine, Biscuit, who was just lately recognized with most cancers.
His one goal whereas behind bars is to “survive” and possibly discover ways to weld and grow to be a tutor.
Foehner has taken accountability for the taking pictures and believes he ought to have been punished however not jailed.
“Regardless of the circumstances are, a man is useless due to me. Perhaps I ought to have taken the beating [that night], however who is aware of the place the beating stops,” he mentioned
