FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
North Carolina Man Indicted for Trafficking
33 Guns to Sell on the Streets of Brooklyn
Sold 25 Firearms to Undercover on Two Occasions,
Arrested inside Restaurant before Completing Third Sale
Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, today announced that a 24-year-old man from North Carolina has been arraigned on a 115-count indictment for allegedly trafficking 33 firearms from his home state into Brooklyn. He allegedly sold 25 of the firearms to an undercover police officer on two occasions last month and was arrested with eight additional guns and assault rifle parts before completing a third planned transaction.
Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The pistols and revolvers that were recovered as part of this investigation are exactly the type of guns that are used to commit violence on our streets. Keeping such weapons – purchased legally in southern states, but possessed illegally in Brooklyn – out of the hands of criminals undoubtedly saves lives so I am determined to continue working with the NYPD to identify out-of-state firearms traffickers and to bring them to justice in Brooklyn.”
Commissioner O’Neill said, “This one individual was able to readily bring thirty-three illegal firearms into New York City for sale within a two week period. This case is yet another clear example of how the lax gun laws and regulations in other areas of our country can directly impact the crime fighting efforts of New York. It is further evidence of the need for a greater level of control and accountability in connection with access to illegal firearms throughout our nation. I want to thank all those who worked so well in bringing this case to a swift and successful result.”
The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Marcus Gamble, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Foley on a 115-count indictment in which he is charged with first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, first-, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and related charges. The defendant was ordered held without bail.
The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 5, 2016, the defendant sold 10 loaded firearms to an undercover police officer and, on December 13, 2016, the defendant sold the undercover 15 loaded firearms for a total of about $27,000. The sales took place inside a car in the vicinity of Flatbush Avenue and Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn.
On December 20, 2016, as the defendant was allegedly waiting for a third sale to commence, he was arrested inside a Golden Krust restaurant located at 568 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Eight guns and parts of an assault rifle were recovered from his book-bag, according to the indictment.
The 33 guns the defendant is charged with transporting to Brooklyn were mostly pistols and revolvers, including Smith & Wessons, Colts and Rugers. Some of the weapons were purchased legally in North Carolina and others were stolen, the investigation found. The defendant grew up in New York City, has extensive family ties to Brooklyn, but has been living in North Carolina for the past couple of years, according to the investigation.
The investigation was conducted by Police Officer Konrad Zakiewicz with the assistance of Detective William Warren, under the Supervision of Sergeant Richard Young and Lieutenant Richard Zacarese of the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katie Lee Wright, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision Assistant District Attorney Jonathan R. Sennett, Deputy Chief of VCE, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division 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.