200 firearms recovered in New York operation that killed Queens gun trafficking crew: report

A Queens-based gun trafficking ring was busted, leading to the recovery of nearly 200 firearms, including 11 assault weapons, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday.

According to QNS.comThe 579-count indictment accuses Deundre Wright, 32, Abner Sparkes, 31, and Ethan Charles, 22, of trafficking and selling assault weapons, semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The trio faces 25 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, a multi-agency investigation resulted in the discovery of 184 weapons during the operation, which were allegedly transported to Queens from North Carolina, according to the report.

“Most gun crimes in New York result from illegal human trafficking from other states with lax gun laws along the Iron Pipeline, fueling deadly gun violence in our communities,” James said. “This investigation shut down a major gun trafficking operation that brought a flood of dangerous weapons, including assault weapons, from North Carolina to New York in just a few months.”

The investigation found that from March to July 2024, Wright traveled by bus from Manhattan to North Carolina and back, storing firearms in his luggage. After transporting the guns to New York, Wright moved them to friends’ homes and parked them there, according to the report.

The report said Wright allegedly set prices between $1,000 and $2,500 for the guns while Sparkes, who met the client in a car, made the sale in Cambria Heights and brought the cash to Wright, who parked nearby and monitored the transactions – according to the report.

“Today’s charges are a stark reminder that illegal high-powered firearms continue to spread and circulate in our communities, and that NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners are doing dangerous work keeping them out of the hands of criminals on the street,” said New York Police Department Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon.