Man charged with illegal firearms trafficking conspiracy

A 35-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to illegally traffic weapons from Savannah, Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York.

Tony Terry was arrested Wednesday morning.

According to the indictment and other documents, on two occasions in November 2022, Terry traveled to Savannah, where members of his family served as straw buyers for several firearms from gun dealers. approved firearms.

The indictment says Terry then returned to Brooklyn, where a co-conspirator sold two of the guns.

On December 6, 2022, investigators said Terry's co-conspirator sold a Taurus 9mm G2e handgun to an undercover NYPD officer in East New York, Brooklyn.

“As has been 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 the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace. “My Office and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to investigate, pursue 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.

“This indictment underscores the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ unwavering commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal weapons onto our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge ATF, Bryan Miller. “Those who buy and traffic firearms for resale to those who cannot legally obtain them pose a threat to our community. Disrupting gun trafficking schemes like this is a top priority for us. The ATF NY/NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force is dedicated to keeping our communities safe. We express our gratitude to our colleagues in ATF Atlanta's Savannah Field Office and Eastern New York District for their assistance. »

“This indictment underscores the NYPD’s commitment to eradicating the illicit firearms supply chain that continues to threaten our communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. “I commend the diligent efforts of our NYPD investigators, particularly our courageous undercover officer in this case, as well as our colleagues at the ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District for their essential role in 'elimination of these weapons – and those who peddle them – from the streets of New York.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the straw buyers, Jose Marrero and Jacqueline Christmas, were charged and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia for 15 additional firearms they purchased on behalf of the 'accused.

The USDOJ said Marrero pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2024 to 18 months in prison. Christmas pleaded guilty in March 2024 and awaits sentencing.

As a reminder, the charges in Terry's indictment are allegations. Terry is presumed innocent until proven guilty.