What Happens When a Millionaire Mogul Uses a Gun to Defend Himself in New York?

Millionaire mogul George Bardwil faces years in prison for using a firearm to scare away a home intruder in January. In dramatic surveillance footage played in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday, Bardwil is seen pointing the loaded gun -- registered to his bodyguard -- at an intruder in his Upper East Side home.

Photo: Dan Brinzac

"With pistol in hand, Bardwil can be seen frantically rushing from his messy bedroom to the top of a staircase in his East 51st Street town house as his startled Yorkie barks in the background," the New York Post reports.

The video has apparently not been released to the public.

When police arrived to investigate the break-in, Bardwil told them exactly what happened and voluntarily showed them the surveillance tape. So police arrested him for possessing an illegal gun. He is currently free on $250,000 bail.

In New York City, residents need to apply for permits just to keep a firearm in their homes. The gun, a loaded .40-cal Sig Sauer, was legally registered to Bardwil's bodyguard and kept in a secure box at the millionaire's apartment, according to the New York Post.

Further, the Wall Street Journal notes: "Mr. Bardwil allegedly told police he kept the weapon because he feared for his life and said he slept with the gun underneath his pillow in his bedroom."

The mega-rich linen mogul keeps a bodyguard and a gun because he has reportedly been the victim of multiple burglaries because of his money.

He faces three years in prison for using a firearm to ward off a home intruder.

If you want to know more about the case, NRA News' Cam Edwards has you covered:

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