LAWFUEL – Legal Announcement Service – MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY RYPKA, JR.,
a police officer in Tarrytown, New York, was found guilty today
of receipt and distribution of child pornography, possession of
child pornography, and possession of an illegal, unregistered
fully automatic sub-machine gun after a one-week jury trial
before United States District Judge COLLEEN MCMAHON. According
to the Indictment and the evidence at trial:
RYPKA received and distributed computer files
containing child pornography on June 12, 2006, and possessed
computer files containing child pornography in September 2006.
On June 12, 2006, RYPKA both received and sent images of child
pornography from his e-mail address. In September 2006, the New
York State Police recovered computer evidence, including a
desktop computer and a thumb drive, from RYPKA’s house in
Tarrytown, New York. An examination of the desktop computer and
the thumb drive showed they contained over 50 images of child
pornography. Among the images found on the thumb drive were the
two images that had been uploaded to RYPKA’s email account on
June 12, 2006 and several of the images that had been received by
his email address that same day. RYPKA also possessed a fully
automatic sub-machine gun in September 2006. The machine gun was
not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and
Transfer Record.
RYPKA was convicted of: (a) one count of distributing
and receiving child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence
of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years
in prison; (b) one count of possessing child pornography, which
carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; (c) one count
of possessing a machine gun, which carries a maximum sentence of
10 years in prison; and (d) one count of possessing a firearm not
registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and
Transfer Record, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in
prison. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or
twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense.
Sentencing was scheduled for January 5, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.
Mr. GARCIA praised the investigative efforts of the New
York State Police, the Westchester County District Attorney’s
Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States attorneys NICHOLAS L. McQUAID
and CHRISTOPHER L. GARCIA are in charge of the prosecution.
08-228 ###
