ONE of two Irish men arrested in a house in Queens, New York, where police found a cache of arms and ammunition, has been charged with multiple counts of possession and sale of a weapon.
The police suspect Mr Patrick McGinley (33) was running guns for the IRA. At his arraignment on Tuesday, bail was set at $250,000. The Criminal Court judge granted the prosecution's request for a "sufficiency hearing" for bail.
This is normally used in cases where prosecutors suspect bail money was amassed as a result of criminal activity, such as drugs and trafficking.
This means the IRA connection in the case is being highlighted, despite denials by Mr McGinley's attorney, Mr Michael Dowd. He said his client was the victim of racism.
A second man arrested at the scene, Mr Adrian Gallagher (29), was charged with harassment and criminal mischief. Bail was set at $15,000.
The New York Police Department seized 16 weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at Mr McGinley's home in Maspeth when they were called by a neighbour with whom Mr McGinley was involved in an altercation.