NEW YORK (AP) -- Two New York gun trafficking networks were dismantled and 16 people indicted in a sting that netted more than 100 illegal firearms including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, police and prosecutors said Friday.
The suspected leaders of the two operations arrested on Thursday and Friday were charged with criminal sale of a firearm and other crimes that could put them away for life if convicted. Three of the suspects were still at large.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Mitchell "Mickey" Collins, 64, and Dario Wynerman, 21, ran two separate operations and sold dozens of illegal weapons. Wynerman was arraigned and held without bail; his attorney didn't return a call seeking comment Friday. Collins had not yet been arraigned late Friday and was being held. It wasn't clear if he had an attorney.
Kelly said the Collins operation began last year and he and three other suspects sold a total of 88 firearms to undercover officers. Kelly said most of the guns were bought in pawn shops in South Carolina, then resold in Harlem. Some were reported stolen but it was not clear whether they were stolen or straw purchases.
The second operation began last November, and most of the suspects were between ages 17 and 23, Kelly said. Wynerman's operation sold 41 guns -- and a bullet-resistant vest to an undercover officer, Kelly said. The other suspects are young men involved in street crews.
"It's unusual to see individuals as old as Mickey Collins still engaged in criminal activity. Regrettably, it's not unusual for young men to get involved in violent street crews," Kelly said.
Both operations started after detectives learned that guns were being sold illegally on the street.
"These are the most significant gun trafficking investigations in Manhattan in recent history, both in terms of the number of illegal gun traffickers taken into custody, and the sheer volume of illegal guns removed from the streets," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it was important to remember that illegal guns remain a problem nationwide and he urged the presidential candidates to address the issue.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:55 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:55:03 GMT
The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his award-winning portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos," has died in Italy. He was 51.
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Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman...
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman Business Park.
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Franklin Reyes, 17, was in court Wednesday. He is charged with the death of 4-year-old Ariel Russo.
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More than 70 percent of New Jersey residents have seen or heard the state's "Stronger than the Storm" advertising campaign, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
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The FBI has found possible human remains in a dig at the New York City house once occupied by a famous gangster. An FBI spokesman confirmed Wednesday that agents found material that they want to test as part of an investigation.
The FBI has found possible human remains in a dig at the New York City house once occupied by a famous gangster. An FBI spokesman confirmed Wednesday that agents found material that they want to test as part of an investigation.
