Gun fanatic pinched by own arsenal of weapons

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.

“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.