A 70-year-old Long Island man is facing charges for allegedly threatened to use a crossbow on town officials for dismantling a plane parked in his driveway, authorities say.
Harold Guretzky was charged with aggravated harassment on Tuesday after he allegedly threatened two Hempstead employees over the phone amid a dispute over the plane parked outside his home in Oceanside.
He was being held in lieu of $2,500 bail Wednesday. Orders of protection have been issued for the two town officials who were allegedly threatened.
Guretzky's attorney, Mark Ialente said his client is angry over his plane being dismantled but he never had any intentions of harming the workers.
Last week Guretzky told NBC 4 New York that he would shoot anyone who came near the plane with the crossbow. He said that he kept the plane in his driveway because he couldn't afford a hangar and had previously compared it to keeping a boat in a driveway.
He also said he planned to sue the town for $5 million for removing the plane.
Town officials have said that Guretzky had ignored 17 summonses calling on him to remove the plane, and that neighbors had been complaining about the aircraft for 1½ years.
Town officials said Thursday that they planned to bill Guretzky for costs associated with the plane's removal.
