Gun fanatic pinched by own arsenal of weapons

Deputies find 50 guns, arrest owner in insurance scheme

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, June 27, 2008 8:38 AM CDT



Sheriff’s Office deputies seized $150,000 in guns from a Slidell area gun collector whose “perversion” with weapons led to picture taking of his 1-year-old son, in diapers, clutching an AK-47 machine gun, Sheriff Jack Strain said Thursday.

Fai Yui “Frank” Kwan, 42, 101 Foxcraft Drive, was arrested and charged with several felonies, including two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, when the cache was discovered during a robbery investigation.

The arsenal, “a gun collector’s dream,” “almost defies logic,” Strain said.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

“This guy carried (gun collecting) to an all new level,” Strain said.

The guns, 50 in all, included an AR-50 sniper rifle worth $20,000 to $30,000, capable of hitting a quarter-size target from a mile and a half away, Strain said. Navy Seals call the rifle “God,” Lt. Bobby Juge said.

“If this guy had criminal intent he could have held off police forces for a long time,” Strain said, adding later, “He could make a target of one of my deputies from a mile and half away.”

The news shocked neighbors on Thursday. One remembered Kwan as quiet man who was often seen playing outdoors with his children, the 1-year-old and a 9-year-old.

“I am pretty surprised. He was like Mr. Mom, always taking care of the baby,” said Susie Harbour, a neighbor who frequently talked to Kwan. “I never took him to be the Rambo-type.”

James Thornton, who lived across the street from the Kwan but never spoke with him, was also shocked by the arrest.

“It was a hell of a surprise to me,” Thornton said. “It’s really scary to know that he had enough guns in there to start a war.”

Detectives are working with the ATF to determine when and where the guns were acquired, if any were stolen or used during a crime and if Kwan was dealing and selling the high-powered weapons. Investigators are looking into whether Kwan may be part of a criminal enterprise after three seized computers contained sales information for gun parts and ammunition, according to a press release.

Kwan was also in the process of building a weapons bunker in his garage, according to the release.

“Even the most avid collector has to ask what’s going on here,” Strain said.

The seizure unfolded June 19 when deputies responded to Kwan’s home to investigate an alleged robbery. Kwan claimed 18 guns were stolen, worth $70,000, and he provided a list of make and models when deputies arrived.

When deputies searched the home they found five of the guns on Kwan’s list in his son’s bedroom, roughly 2 feet from the child’s crib.

“In police work, we call that a clue,” Strain said.

Slidell City Court Judge Jim Lamz signed a search warrant, and deputies later uncovered the remaining weapons, including a 1919 World War II-era belt-fed machine gun with 2,000 rounds worth $5 a piece, Juge said. Other items included a flash bang percussion grenade, wire booby traps, a Kevlar helmet, a SWAT team “raid entry vest” and several rifles and pistols converted to illegal semi-automatic and automatic weapons, which made possession of the weapons illegal. Roughly 500,000 rounds in total were found.

Authorities believe Kwan was trying to scame his issurance company to pay his elecricity bill, which shut off a day earlier.

Most disturbing, though, is the discovery of several pictures that show Kwan’s 1-year-old son smiling in his bed clutching different weapons, including the AK-47, and a handgun pointed at the camera, deputies said. In other pictures, an unidentified female is pouring Corona Beer into the boy’s mouth. Another photo shows the infant sitting on another unidentified man’s lap, clutching a “Dirty Harry” type revolver.

“What’s the most scary is when the parents aren’t there (the children) feel comfortable with them, and one day they shoot each other,” Juge said.

Kwan, who has two previous arrests for issuing worthless checks, has no military background and was largely unknown to neighbors except for a few, Juge said.

Kwan was arrested and charged with one count of injuring public records, possession of a modified or altered shotgun, two counts of child desertion and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

In addition, Kwan was charged with two counts of possession of a legend drug without prescription, meaning the medication is likely Viagra or blood pressure medicine or anything non-narcotic, Strain spokesman George Bonnett said.

Late Thursday, investigators were expected to charge Kwan with additional gun violation charges. He’s being held in Tammany Parish jail without bond pending further charges, Bonnett said.

Kwan’s live-in girlfriend, Brandy Hall, 25, was also charged with two counts of possession of a legend drug and two counts of child desertion.

The investigation is ongoing.


Comments

14 comment(s)

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    Reason for arrest wrote on Jul 4, 2008 2:06 PM:

    " 1 Fraud.
    2 false police report.
    3 owning any assembled fully automatic weapon with out ATF stamp.
    4 ATF violations.

    The number of firearms should have nothing to do with the arrest. "

    jealous wrote on Jul 4, 2008 9:41 AM:

    " I am 10 guns shy of him. i don't see this going too far. he'll get his guns back you can count on that. He didn't commit a crime with the guns did he? "

    Glen wrote on Jul 2, 2008 6:21 AM:

    " I think the public is due a correction of all obviously known errors as reported. Our Sheriff's Dept. needs to be seen as experts, not as Dep. Barney Fife. Now my opinions: Loose guns in the house are subject to being stolen and put on the street or "child shoots child" in the home. Any gun collector should be responsible enough to protect the public from theft of potentially dangerous property. Maybe even build a storage bunker in your garage. Looking forward to an update to the facts of this story. "

    SouthernHedritage wrote on Jul 1, 2008 9:46 PM:

    " The guy did nothing wrong except maybe the beer to the minor. He probably legally owned all of them and you can own thousands and still be legal under our 2nd Amendment. 50 Cal. is legal and ammunition is too and that keeps us free if there were no guns countries would target us. By the way a 50 Cal is not "militairy use only" Everyone should excersice his and her right to be armed as much as they please. Germany who disarmed the people only found themselves in gas chambers or under a firing squad and tyranny. "

    Anonymous wrote on Jul 1, 2008 2:07 PM:

    " OMG...That guy,"Frank", owned the IceHouse on Front St. when it was "Season's Steaks and Spirits"...surprisingly he was a really nice and easy going guy...ironic how people live such double lives...i never would have guessed. "

    Tom wrote on Jun 30, 2008 5:30 PM:

    " Seems like the real crime is the stupidity of the law enforcement (or the laziness of the reporter). Does this Sheriff really believe that ANY firearm could hit a "quarter-size target from a mile and a half". Thats about 0.02 MOA (minutes of angle)or about 10 times better than the best benchrest rifle. Also Hehk is dead on for the cost, as these are available for around $3k. Again the Sheriff is only off by a factor of about 10. Basic fact checking is desperately needed. "

    Greg H wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:36 PM:

    " It's funny to see how hysterical the anti-gun crowd's hysteria seems to grow exponentially in proportion to the number of "illegal" guns held in a private residence. I hate to tell you all this, but there is a very good chance that Mr. Kwan did nothing wrong regarding his weapon ownership. There is no criminal limit on how many weapons an individual can own. There certainly isn't for taking pictures of your kid with a gun (note that it never mentions any of them being loaded). As for the insurance fraud and beer pic, that's different. "

    Gun nut wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:01 PM:

    " Who's to say how many guns are to many. 50 or 500 doesn't matter. You collect stamps, flowers, etc. Should I condem you for having 500 different kinds.
    The artical was writed with such bias its rediculous. The sheriff is an idiot.
    Last I checked a semi-auto gun is not illegal. 50,000 rounds and Belt fed guns arn't either. Now that being said, If he had modified any weapon to shoot full auto, He needs to go to the pokey. "

    Joseph A. wrote on Jun 30, 2008 5:16 AM:

    " Thanks to ST.Tamany police for getting this guy off the steet....
    It's nice to know that our police is working hard to keep people like this in JAIL..... "

    Non Criminal wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:58 AM:

    " This guy is just plain STUPID who in the heck would have these kind of weapons in there house and more so around their kids. Hello legislature check green cards look at how you are endangering us "

    Evan wrote on Jun 29, 2008 3:10 PM:

    " Gotta love that 2nd amendment. Whats wrong with these gun nuts?? "

    hehk wrote on Jun 29, 2008 10:53 AM:

    " An AR-50 is $3,359 msrp, as a quick search would reveal and I have no idea where that "military use only" BS comes from. Also, there is no way it's as accurate as the article claims. What gun "expert" was used as a source? I'd love to hear that person's fishing stories. "

    Chris Bennett wrote on Jun 29, 2008 1:50 AM:

    " Sure it's illegal to commit a crime like insurance fraud, but when did it become illegal to collect guns? This is still the USA right? Who cares if he had 50 guns or 500 for that matter, it's his right. Now, commission of a crime is another story, if he's found guilty, he should pay. $5 a shell for .308 or 30-06 is a flat out lie. If they're paying a hundred bucks for a box of 20 rounds, it must be the same guys that bought the $16,000 hammers for the US Govt. Genius "

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