Brooklyn man traffics relatives

Federal authorities unsealed a four-count indictment at the Brooklyn federal courthouse Wednesday, charging Tony Terry with conspiracy to illegally traffic firearms from Georgia to Brooklyn. Terry was arrested this morning and is expected to be arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the arrest and charges alongside Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

“As alleged, the defendant brought deadly weapons from Georgia onto the streets of East New York in Brooklyn, a community that has suffered terribly from gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Peace. “My office and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to investigate, prosecute and disrupt the flow of illegal weapons along the Iron Pipeline and keep them out of the hands of criminals who have no respect for the law or human life. »

According to the investigation, Terry made several trips to Statesboro, Georgia, between February and December 2022. During these trips, he allegedly used straw buyers – his sister-in-law Jacqueline Christmas and her son Jose Marrero – to purchase firearms from authorized dealers. . Terry provided money and a list of desired firearms to Christmas and Marrero, who then purchased approximately 17 guns on his behalf.

After acquiring the guns, Terry took them back to Brooklyn. He allegedly sold two of these guns in the New Lots area on December 6, 2022, including one sale to an undercover NYPD officer. The investigation linked several of these gun deals to violent crimes, including shootings and a homicide in Brooklyn, a car chase in upstate New York and a drug raid in Queens.

Terry's criminal activities included quickly returning purchased firearms, sometimes within days of acquisition, and selling them in residential areas near schools. His previous criminal record includes a conviction for attempted burglary in 2009, for which he served three years in state prison, followed by two years of post-release supervision.

The indictment highlights the coordinated efforts of Terry and his family members to facilitate the illegal firearms trade. Christmas and Marrero pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, with Marrero already sentenced to 18 months in prison. Terry faces charges of conspiracy to traffic firearms, among other charges, and is considered a flight risk because of his connections in Georgia and the harsh penalties he faces if he is found guilty.