(WNY News Now) – New York Attorney General Letitia James announced today the takedown of a major gun trafficking network, recovering 184 firearms in Queens and indicting three individuals allegedly responsible for trafficking weapons from North Carolina.
In a significant crackdown on gun trafficking, New York Attorney General Letitia James unveiled the details of an extensive investigation that culminated in the seizure of 184 firearms, including 11 assault weapons, and the indictments of three individuals on 579 counts. The defendants, identified as Deundre Wright, 22, Abner Sparkes, 31, and Ethan Charles, 22, are charged with trafficking firearms from Goldsboro, North Carolina to New York City, supplying them to buyers in Queens. If convicted, the accused face up to 25 years in prison.
The investigation, led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the DEA’s New York Strikeforce, employed surveillance and controlled purchases to monitor and disrupt the trafficking route. Wright, allegedly the operation’s leader, transported firearms from North Carolina by bus, concealing them in luggage. The weapons were then stored in Queens and sold at prearranged locations, with Wright pricing each firearm between $1,000 and $2,500.
Law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, collaborated in the operation. In one key bust on August 8, 2024, officers detained Wright and Charles in Manhattan as they exited a bus carrying firearms, seizing 41 weapons, including an inoperable rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
Queens County Supreme Court Judge Leigh Cheng unsealed the indictment, detailing charges of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Firearm in the First Degree.
“Often times we see drug and gun violence go hand in hand. The indictments of these three individuals are thanks to the hard work of our DEA Strikeforce, New York’s Attorney General, and our law enforcement partners, when targeting those who pose a threat to our communities through the sale of illegal firearms,” said DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “The removal of over 150 firearms, which includes numerous assault weapons and semiautomatic pistols, just made the streets of New York City and our neighborhoods safer. The DEA remains committed to protecting our communities, reducing gun violence, and enhancing public safety.”
NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon echoed the sentiment, reiterating the need to dismantle trafficking networks to safeguard communities. “Today’s charges are a stark reminder that high-powered, illegal firearms continue to proliferate and circulate in our communities, and that NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners are doing the dangerous work of preventing them from getting into criminals’ hands on the streets,” said Donlon. “Disrupting and dismantling gun trafficking networks is a top priority for our city. I thank everyone at Office of the Attorney General and all of our local, state, and federal partners for their hard work on this important case and for their ongoing commitment to our shared public safety mission.”
This takedown highlights an ongoing effort to disrupt the “Iron Pipeline,” a term describing the trafficking routes that channel firearms from states with looser gun laws into urban areas like New York City. Attorney General James expressed a firm commitment to enforcing strict measures to protect public safety.
The Attorney General’s Office commended the DEA New York Strikeforce, the NYPD’s DEA Firearms Task Force, and all state and federal partners for their collaboration. The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Ann Lee, supported by OCTF Legal Support Analyst Madeline Rosen. As are all persons accused of a crime, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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