Milan judge places trapper Tony Boy under house arrest for unregistered firearm

Judicial ruling and transfer to house arrest

Preliminary investigation judge Chiara Valori of the Court of Milan ordered the transfer of 26-year-old Italian trapper Antonio Hueber, known professionally as Tony Boy, from San Vittore prison to house arrest at his parents' residence in Padua. The decision, delivered following a validation interrogation, upheld charges concerning the possession of an illegal firearm while dropping accusations of drug dealing. The ruling concluded three days of detention after Hueber's arrest in Milan.

I have never dealt drugs, the drugs I had were for personal use because I have an established addiction. I had the weapon for self-defense because I recently suffered a home burglary.

Police search and discovery of weapons and drugs

Police operations began at dawn on 22 August 2026, when officers stopped a sports utility vehicle carrying Hueber and a companion near Piazza Ferravilla in Milan. After officers noticed an envelope of cocaine on the back seat, investigators expanded the search to Hueber's rented house in the Citta Studi district. During the police search, the musician, who has one million followers on Instagram, broadcast a live stream to social media.

Inside the bedroom, officers located a 6.35-caliber Beretta semiautomatic pistol hidden above a wardrobe, featuring an abraded serial number. Investigators also recovered a magazine loaded with seven cartridges, 41 additional rounds of varying calibers, and a precision scale. In addition to the firearm and roughly 50 total rounds of ammunition, police seized four grams of cocaine, eight grams of hashish, and one gram of marijuana across the vehicle and apartment. Officers additionally discovered six empty helium canisters in the garden and five full canisters inside the property, though these remained unseized because commercial sales of helium are legal.

Defense arguments and personal use claims

During the morning interrogation at San Vittore prison, defense attorney Niccolo Vecchioni presented statements contesting the prosecution's distribution narrative. Hueber stated that he purchased the clandestine Beretta pistol on a Telegram group for 300 euros in bitcoin as a protective measure following an earlier reported break-in at his home.

The musician acknowledged persistent chemical dependencies, explaining that he consumed narcotics strictly for personal use alongside prescribed psychiatric medications. Vecchioni argued that the small quantities of narcotics recovered by police corresponded entirely to personal consumption habits, requesting full release or house arrest in the alternative.

Prosecution requests and additional investigations

Public prosecutor Sara Ombra had requested continued pre-trial detention in prison, describing the possession of a firearm with an abraded serial number as clear evidence of high personal danger. The prosecution pointed to risks of repeat offenses involving violence or armed conduct. Ombra maintained that the combination of multiple drugs and a precision scale constituted sufficient initial indications of dealing.

Hueber remains under investigation while not in custody for separate counts including resisting a public officer, receiving stolen goods, and the unlawful processing of data. A 32-year-old acquaintance present at the residence during the initial search also faces an investigation for resisting police officers.