Three Venezuelan migrants — together with a baby-faced Tren de Aragua chief — openly peddled unlawful pistols, shotguns, rifles and ghost weapons throughout New York Metropolis, prosecutors alleged.
The accused ringleader Stefano Pachon, 21, and his two confederates shuffled right into a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday to face gun trafficking conspiracy prices outlined in a 31-count indictment.
Pachon, who racked up a protracted rap sheet since he arrived within the Large Apple from Venezuela in late 2023, offered 9 totally different loaded weapons in the course of the months-long caper, prosecutors mentioned.
“The defendant has entry to a seemingly limitless provide of loaded weapons,” mentioned Assistant District Lawyer Yuval Simchi-Levi. “This defendant offered the weapons whereas out on a bench warrant.”
The indictment sprang from a probe into Victor Parra, 30, the chief of an interstate migrant moped gang who spent three months as a fugitive earlier than he was busted by NYPD cops in Might.
Parra this week pleaded responsible to grand larceny prices, courtroom data present.
Proof within the case in opposition to Parra ultimately led to the gun-trafficking ring allegedly led by Pachon, an alleged high-ranking member of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang, prosecutors mentioned.
Along with Darwin Figuera, 34, and Yorman Serrano, 31, and a fourth as-yet-unnamed defendant, Pachon trafficked an arsenal of high-quality firearms over WhatsApp, in response to prosecutors.
One semi-automatic weapon offered was geared up with a “sear swap” that might flip it into an computerized weapon, prosecutors mentioned.
They offered 11 weapons, authorities mentioned.
Pachon would negotiate the acquisition and worth for many weapons, with gross sales unfolding throughout the Bronx and an East Harlem fuel station at East a hundred and twenty fifth Avenue and Second Avenue, officers mentioned.
The trio that appeared in courtroom Wednesday hail from Venezuela and all pleaded not responsible.
“Promoting unlawful weapons in Manhattan is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated. The scourge of gun violence takes a devastating toll on our communities, and I’ve met with far too many heartbroken households who’ve misplaced a liked one due to unlawful firearms,” Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg mentioned in a press release.
“Whereas gun violence continues to pattern downward in Manhattan, there’s much more work to do, and we are going to proceed to associate with the NYPD to carry folks accountable who commit one of these harmful conduct,” Bragg mentioned.
Pachon’s legal professional Michael Fineman tried taking part in up how he’s an “asylum seeker” and that he falls beneath sure protections, however Decide Althea Drysdale shortly minimize him off and corrected his bail utility.
“Most respectfully, I don’t know if that needs to be a part of your utility,” Drysdale shot again. “Simply because all [the accused] hail from Venezuela doesn’t imply you get to be an asylum seeker.”
The choose ordered Pachon to be held with out bail for his “arrest-rich rap sheet,” which incorporates allegedly stealing from a Queens Sephora.
Figuera, who shuffled into courtroom sporting a pair of ladies’s Cheetah-printed Adidas slides, was held on $50,000 money bail.
Serrano, who alleged tried to promote his personal ghost gun, had his bail set at $75,000.
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