An indictment announced Wednesday charged eight people with firearms trafficking, narcotics distribution, and related crimes. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the accused include John Donaldson, Juanita Figueroa, and Ronald Jackson, who were detained in New York, as well as others from across the country. The indictment listed 23 counts against the defendants, alleging that they sold firearms, rifles, and crack cocaine in a variety of locales, including Staten Island, New Jersey, and the Bronx.
According to a press release, US Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., remarked, “As alleged, the defendants sold a significant number of pistols, rifles, and bags of crack cocaine.” The spread of these chemicals is reported to have lasted three years, beginning in August 2022 and ending last month, with the suspected culprits working in broad daylight in residential areas. Their activities are said to have involved legal infractions and posed possible hazards to the communities where the transactions took place.
The defendants are suspected of trafficking 37 weapons, most of which were tracked back to southern states such as North and South Carolina. These firearms included AR-15-style rifles and shotguns, as well as handguns in various calibers and extended magazines. Transactions are reported to have occurred despite obvious threats to community safety, with one such exchange taking place outside a Brooklyn eatery.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia stressed the serious risks involved with the convergence of firearms and narcotics, claiming that the alleged illegal activity brought both into communities, raising the possibility of harm. Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch emphasized the department’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks that fund the illegal gun and drug trade in New York City. The case will be prosecuted by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Pak and Matthew Sullivan leading the prosecution of the accused persons.
Currently, all defendants are deemed innocent until proven guilty. The Metro Safe Streets Task Force, which included both the FBI and the NYPD, worked together on this investigation. The accused’ arraignments are taking place in a variety of jurisdictions.