CBS New York published an interview with Brooklyn native Dexter Taylor on Monday highlighting his case and showing the bodycam footage of the 2022 SWAT raid and subsequent arrest at his home. Taylor, a software engineer and gun hobbyist, was convicted in May for having built so-called “ghost guns” in his home.

Taylor is now serving a ten-year sentence at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in New York for having possessed 13 unregistered firearms, including several AR-style rifles and pistols that he assembled at his home.

During the interview, Taylor argued that the state is infringing on his constitutional rights. The host asked whether he had a license to possess the firearms. “I still do have a license,” Taylor replied. “It’s called the Second Amendment.”

Taylor pointed out that the U.S. Constitution supersedes state regulations on firearms. “The law of the land is clear. I’d like to have my conviction reversed,” he said.

The engineer recounted being arrested after the SWAT raid on his home. "I hear a bang, and I see underneath the crack in my door, I see weapon lights flicking back. I said, ‘Hello, hello, hello. I’m Dexter Taylor.’ My name is Dexter Taylor,” he said, noting that he first believed they had the wrong house.

One of the officers can be heard telling Taylor that they know his name on the bodycam footage.

The raid was carried out by a joint NYPD and ATF task force as part of a broader crackdown on unregistered firearms. The ATF flagged Taylor after he legally bought gun parts online using his credit card and home address.

Taylor never fired the guns he assembled, nor did he have a criminal record before this case. When asked whether his firearms had been registered, he answered, “No such registration is required,” and argued that states do not have the authority to impose laws that contradict the Constitution, “especially the Bill of Rights.”

CBS New York also interviewed Taylor’s lawyer, Vinoo Varghese, who is preparing to appeal his client’s case in federal court.

“We knew we were going to lose the state court,” the attorney said. “But then we’re going to come right back to Brooklyn in federal court.”

Varghese took issue not only with Taylor’s conviction but with the sentence handed down by Judge Abena Darkeh. “People that have been convicted of manslaughter, people that have been convicted of molesting children are going to get out earlier than Dexter Taylor, who hasn’t harmed anyone.”

Taylor spoke with RedState from prison about his case. “I shouldn’t be here, and that’s the fault of the people running New York State,” he said.

For Taylor, this fight is about more than his individual case—it is about setting a precedent for others whose Second Amendment rights are trampled by government. “I hope that we can compel New York State to abide by the law,” he told CBS New York.

His incarceration has taken a toll on him and his family. He said he misses his 16-year-old daughter, which has been one of the hardest parts about being in prison. “She is proud of my fight,” he said.

As Taylor continues to fight his conviction, his case underscores the ongoing struggle between the Constitution and government officials seeking to violate the rights it is supposed to protect. “This is really the fight of our lives…not just as Conservatives, as citizens, because it’s about far more than this case alone,” he told RedState.

As Taylor continues to fight his conviction, his case underscores the ongoing struggle between individual rights and state laws in the gun control debate. His fight, as Taylor himself said, is not just for him, but for all U.S. citizens who believe in the fundamental right to bear arms. “This is really the fight of our lives… not just as Conservatives, as citizens, because it’s about far more than this case alone,” he said during his RedState interview.

You can watch the full interview below.

If you would like to help with Dexter Taylor’s legal fees, you can donate to his GiveSendGo campaign.