Five south Queens men were indicted on Thursday for operating an alleged gun trafficking ring by the by the Queens District Attorney’s office who said they also sold a variety of drugs in their dealings.
Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan said the six-month NYPD investigation led to the arrests of Brian Wallace, 25, and Deshawn Taylor, 19, both from Jamaica for allegedly selling two dozen illegal firearms.
They are also accused of dealing cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana, and one of their exchanges involved a 13-year-old boy.
“Gun runners have no place in Queens County. The defendants in this case are accused of profiting from selling illegal firearms and on one occasion defendants had a child participating in this potentially deadly deal,” Ryan said on March 28. “It is absolutely deplorable to involve a child in this kind of illegal activity. Unbeknown to the defendants, they were dealing with undercover police conducting a long-term investigation. This crew is alleged to have sold an assortment of guns and rifles, high capacity magazines and illicit drugs. Now, they face lengthy prison terms.”
NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division led the investigation leading to the 18-count indictment against not only Wallace and Deshawn, but also Dyshawn Bell, 17, who could be facing 3 to 10 years in prison if convicted.
In all, 16 pistols were taken off the streets, according to cops, along with five revolvers, two rifles and a litany of other contraband.
Bell and the 13-year-old defendant allegedly met with a buyer on Euclid Avenue in Brooklyn in October to exchange $800 in cash for a silver revolver. But unbeknownst to the two teens, the buyer was an undercover cop.
There were at least 20 other meeting with this police officer who was allegedly sold drugs, guns and ammo, including one transaction in which they were paid $3,500 for three pistols and a large capacity magazine.
But it gets bigger.
Another transaction in January saw two more pistols, a revolver, an assault rifle and another large capacity magazine sold to the same buyer, the Ryan said. A drum magazine was even acquired by the police through these repeated transactions.
“Targeting and dismantling gangs and crews and preventing the violence associated with their illegal activities continues to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD and our law enforcement partners,” O’Neill said. “We remain relentless in our efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone who involves themselves in such behavior.”
