FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
East New York Man and Woman Indicted For Trafficking Firearms
Thirty Guns Purchased During Course of Year Long Operation
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, today announced that an East New York man and woman have been arraigned on a 124-count indictment for allegedly selling 30 firearms, including six assault weapons, to undercover officers during the course of a year-long investigation.
District Attorney Thompson said, “This investigation is another example of our unrelenting commitment to keep the people of Brooklyn safe by taking illegal guns off our streets. All of these guns, which included assault rifles and a sawed off shotgun, could have wreaked havoc in our communities. I commend the brave undercover officers and the dedicated prosecutors in my office who helped us bring this important case.”
Commissioner Bratton said, “The NYPD is committed to rooting out those responsible for putting illegal guns on to the streets of New York City. Thirty firearms were seized in this investigation, preventing their use in future crimes and tragedies. I commend the work of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the undercover officers whose hard work resulted in these arrests and indictments.”
The District Attorney identified the defendants as Ricardo Rivero, 34, of 666 Dumont Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn and Constance Guity, 45, of 529 Miller Street, in East New York, Brooklyn. The defendants have been variously charged with first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Guity was arraigned this morning before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun and ordered held on $500,000 bail. Rivero is being held on $1 million bail after being arrested on a criminal complaint and will be arraigned on the indictment next week.
The District Attorney said the investigation included undercover police officers making multiple purchases of weapons in the vicinity of Wyona Street and Dumont Avenue, Dumont and Pennsylvania Avenues and Dumont and New Jersey Avenues, in East New York, Brooklyn.
The District Attorney said that beginning in January 2015 and continuing through January 2016, undercover police officers allegedly made multiple gun purchases from Rivero, who was allegedly accompanied by Guity on four occasions, usually carrying the firearms in her handbag. The defendants allegedly sold between one and four firearms on each occasion. In addition, Rivero is charged with possessing cocaine at the time of his arrest and Guity is charged with possessing crack cocaine at the time of her arrest, as well as resisting arrest.
The District Attorney said that the defendants allegedly sold a wide variety of firearms to the undercover, including: .32 caliber Beretta pistol, .380 Bersa pistol, 12 gauge Stevens sawed off shotgun, .38 Colt revolver, 9mm Taurus pistol, 9mm Makarov pistol, 9mm Ruger LC9 pistol, 9mm Jimenez Arms pistol, .22 caliber Jennings Firearms pistol, .22 caliber Taurus pistol, .38 Colt revolver, 9mm Cobray Industries pistol, .380 Smith and Wesson pistol, .380 Keltec pistol, .32 Keltec pistol, .25 caliber Phoenix Arms pistol, .223 Riger mini-14 assault rifle, .22 caliber Chiappa Firearms pistol, Norinco SKS cut down assault rifle, Norinco SKS assault rifle, .22 Supershot revolver, .22 Smith and Wesson revolver, Saiga 7.62mm assault rifle, .22 caliber Tanfoglio revolver, defaced PT92 9mm Taurus pistol, 9mm Springfield Armory pistol, .40 Smith and Wesson Hi Point assault rifle, .380 Davis Industries pistol, .44 Taurus revolver, and .380 Cobra pistol.
The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department Detective Ted Wendling, of the NYPD’s Firearms Investigation Unit, under the supervision of Lieutenant Michael Jennings, and the overall supervision of Deputy Inspector Brian Gill.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Murphy, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Tara Lenich, Deputy Chief for Special Investigations and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of Investigations, and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.
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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.