Dec. 12, 2012 By Christian Murray
A Sunnyside resident who was an officer with the NYPD pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a scheme to illegally transport firearms, including M-16 rifles and handguns, across state lines, according to the US Attorney’s office.
Ali Oklu, 36, was an active duty NYPD officer when he transported firearms and stolen goods across state lines, according to the complaint. The firearms Oklu helped transport included three M-16 rifles, one shotgun, and 16 handguns, the majority of which had been defaced to remove or alter the serial numbers, and all of which had been rendered inoperable, according to the complaint.
Oklu pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport firearms interstate and one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen goods interstate. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in March. In addition, Oklu has agreed to a money judgment of $35,000 which represents the amount of his crime proceeds.
The goods he helped transport, according to the US Attorney’s office, included 12 slot machines and thousands of cartons of cigarettes, as well as various counterfeit merchandise. In total, the goods that Oklu and his co-conspirators illegally transported carried a street value of approximately $1 million.
These crimes took place from September 2010 to October 2011.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement: “With Ali Oklu’s plea … the fine men and women of the NYPD … can put this sordid chapter behind them.”
