Marc Ringel pleads not guilty at arraignment

Marc Ringel, who was found to have 120 guns, several grenades, chemicals used to make explosives, boxes of ammunition, and what police described as an “extensive amount of marijuana,” pleaded not guilty to firearms, weapons possession and reckless endangerment charges at his arraignment in court on Thursday.

He is being held without bail. His next court date is scheduled for Monday. Ringel is represented by attorney Saul Bienfeld.

When 4th Precinct police officers John Lutz and Robert Ryan responded to a call that an alarm was sounding at 237 Narrow Lane in Woodmere on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., the veteran patrolmen most likely didn’t think they would discover 120 guns or several grenades.

Officers Lutz and Ryan found Ringel, 53, in the driveway of the home that belongs to Ringel’s parents working on a van, police said. Ringel told the officers that the alarm was probably from the vehicle. The house is owned by his mother and father, Abraham and Ruth Ringel who winter in Florida and weren’t at home, he told the police officers.

“The officers found Ringel to be very, very nervous and he had no identification on him,” said Police Commissioner Thomas Dale. “When they opened the door to the house to verify his identity there was a very, very strong smell of marijuana and they saw a handgun.” There were also two grenades in plain view.

Ringel attempted to push the officers out of the door, however they gained control of the situation and called for assistance, Dale said. Authorities obtained a search warrant, and Nassau County police, ATF and FBI officers found guns of all sizes and calibers scattered throughout the house and chemicals used to make explosive devices, including pipe bombs.

An area of 20 houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Residents of those homes were permitted to return earlier on Tuesday. Police said safety was an issue as the arms and other materials were scattered throughout the house, and they were unsure if the home was booby-trapped.

In addition, the law enforcement agents discovered a shallow pit with a wire that spanned from the pit to the house, which they think was used to test explosives. “The munitions was believed to be live and our Arson/Bomb Squad detonated them,” said Chief of Department Steven Syrnecki. ”There was enough explosives to level the home and the entire block.”