A plastic surgeon who allegedly threatened to kill his estranged wife and was subsequently found in possession of assault-style rifles and other illegal weapons, has asked for permission to remove his ankle monitor so he can go swimming.
Dr. Matthew Bonanno’s lawyer made the request in a New York court Tuesday, noting his client’s desire to burn more calories after he was arrested August 12 and later charged on a 53-count indictment in relation to the firearms found in his home.
The lawyer accused police and prosecutors of disseminating ‘false narratives’ after they claimed an anonymous person overheard the doctor, 47, saying he wanted to kill his family.
‘This man poses no threat,’ Paul Gentile told a Westchester County judge. ‘He can’t exercise because it hurts. He needs to swim because he’s prone to put on weight.’
Dr Bananno’s lawyer asked on Tuesday in New York for the monitor to be removed as ‘he can’t exercise because it hurts. He needs to swim because he’s prone to put on weight’
Among the huge collection of weapons was a stun gun, heavily ballistic body armor, a ballistic helmet, handcuffs, masks, military-style knives, brass knuckles, scopes and binoculars, according to authorities
Dr Bonanno’s discomfort didn’t sway the judge however.
‘He’s a man of means and if he wanted to disappear he could disappear,’ Judge George Fufidio said about the Long Island man.
The judge maintained the decision despite vacating an order of protection that said he couldn’t contact his estranged wife.
It was after the woman said under oath that she didn’t want it, Iohud.com reported.
The lawyer accused the judge of being ‘so hardened’ after an appellate court reduced the original bail but Fufidio wouldn’t budge on the monitor decision.
‘The Appellate Division second-guesses every trial judge in the state,’ Fufidio said. ‘I’m not concerned about them looking over my shoulder.’
News 12 showed the pair outside the court on Tuesday.
His lawyer argued Wednesday that he ‘poses no threat’ but the judge said: ‘He’s a man of means and if he wanted to disappear he could disappear’
Last month the doctor pleaded not guilty to a 13-count weapons indictment in Nassau County.
Bonanno had posted the $70,000 bail for charges in Westchester and Nassau counties two weeks ago, leading to his release. He was initially detained without bail.
Gentile also asked the appellate court to move the case from Westchester to the Bronx, claiming that publicity has made it impossible to get a fair trial.
Bonanno is due back in court January 28, charged with counts of multiple criminal possession of weapons.
The lawyer accused the judge of being ‘so hardened’ after an appellate court reduced the original bail for the doctor
He was reportedly armed when he was arrested at Growler’s Beer Bistro in Tuckahoe after police allegedly discovered a huge cache of weapons in his vehicle.
Five assault-style rifles fully loaded with high-capacity magazines, three handguns, 29 high-capacity magazines and over 1,600 rounds of ammunition were allegedly found in Bonanno’s car.
Tuckahoe police allege they searched his vehicle and home after a tip-off informed them they overheard Bonanno saying in a bar that he wanted to kill his estranged wife and her family.
Also among the huge collection of weapons was a stun gun, heavily ballistic body armor, a ballistic helmet, handcuffs, masks, military-style knives, brass knuckles, scopes and binoculars, according to authorities.
At his home in Long Island, authorities found another stash of weapons including assault rifles, handguns, high-capacity magazines, ammunition and smoke grenades.
Three unlicensed handguns were reportedly found at the doctor’s other home in Mount Pleasant, New York.
‘We will find out how these guns came into the defendant’s possession, how they got to Westchester and why he had such an unusual collection of weapons,’ Westchester District Attorney Anthony Scarpino previously said at a news conference, according to ABC News.
‘He was not authorized to have that weapon [he allegedly had at the bar] in New York and the assault weapons are clearly not legal in New York.’
Three unlicensed handguns were reportedly found at the doctor’s other home in Mount Pleasant, New York. The cosmetic surgeon was charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of weapons