Husband, Wife Face Weapons Charges
March 1, 2006
By MONICA POLANCO, Courant Staff Writer

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ewdarrest0301.artmar01,0,841798.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

EAST WINDSOR -- A local chiropractor with an admitted drug problem who already is facing federal gun charges was being held Tuesday, with bail set at $100,000, after he was arraigned on a host of state weapons and other charges.

David E. Muska, 45, of 53 S. Main St., and his wife, Cheryl Muska, 38, were arrested at their home Monday. Cheryl Muska was released after posting $500,000 bond following their arraignment in Superior Court in Enfield.

Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, federal marshals, and Hartford, East Windsor and state police searched the Muskas' home Feb. 3 and found weapons that had not been locked in storage containers as required by state law, said East Windsor Sgt. Michael Hannaford.

Police found four weapons in the bedroom of one of the Muskas' children, Hannaford said. The couple has a 10-year-old and 5-year-old child, their lawyers said. The state Department of Children and Families has been notified, Hannaford said.

The state charges stemmed from an investigation by the Hartford Violent Crime Impact Team, a task force that targets violent crimes and firearms violations.

David Muska was charged with 12 counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, second-degree false statement, second-degree false incident report, two counts of risk of injury to a child, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and failure to store a loaded firearm with respect to minors.

Cheryl Muska was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, failure to store a loaded firearm with respect to minors and 12 counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon.

Last month, a federal grand jury indicted David Muska on charges of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user or addict and use or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After appearing before a U.S. magistrate, he was released on $100,000 bond.

The U.S. attorney's office announced that Muska was being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, which is aimed at reducing gun violence and gun trafficking.

At the time, Connecticut State Police records showed that Muska owned 51 registered guns and 28 unregistered guns, a federal affidavit shows.

During the federal probe, investigators found various guns in the Muska home, including a Heckler & Koch 9mm semiautomatic pistol and a Heckler & Koch .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol that had been transported from Germany to the United States, the indictment says. The indictment states that Muska also had a Romarm/Cugir semiautomatic rifle from Romania.

Muska admitted in a written statement to being addicted to heroin and crack cocaine, and investigators found several discarded baggies in a detached garage at the Muska home that were consistent with the packaging of heroin, a federal affidavit says.

Muska could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison and fined up to $250,000 if he is convicted of the federal charges.

Hannaford declined to elaborate on the charges that were filed Monday. The arrest warrants in the case have been sealed.