Tattoo artist Shaw denies guilt in NY-LA gun case

NEW YORK – A noted tattoo artist and writer accused of trying to send a stash of guns and knives from a New York storage locker to his Los Angeles home has pleaded not guilty to dozens of weapons possession charges.

Jonathan Shaw is the 57-year-old son of jazz giant Artie Shaw. He was arrested in November and appeared in a Manhattan court Tuesday.

Prosecutors say he tried to ship a loaded AK-47 assault rifle, three other guns, 68 illegal knives and more than 2,800 rounds of ammunition. They say he had no New York gun license.

Shaw's lawyers have said he bought the weapons legally years ago and had no intention of using them.

Shaw helped popularize tattoos based on tribal symbols. He has focused on writing in recent years and published a novel in 2008.