Man charged in gun ring ordered held on $1M bond

A Central Islip man charged with running a gun-trafficking ring out of his home pleaded not guilty Thursday to weapons and drug charges.

Carlos Garcia, 47, was one of three men involved in a scheme to buy semiautomatic weapons, guns and rifles in Florida and resell them on Long Island, according to an indictment handed up last Friday by a Suffolk County grand jury.

Garcia also was charged with selling cocaine to undercover agents.

Many of the weapons were sold to gang members, District Attorney Thomas Spota said earlier this week.

Garcia pleaded not guilty to first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, fourth-degree conspiracy and criminal sale of a controlled substance. County Court Judge Gerard Asher ordered Garcia held on $1 million bond or $500,000 cash bail, and set his next court date for Aug. 23.

Asher said if cash is put up for Garcia's bail, a hearing will be held to determine whether the money was the "fruits of the allegations against him."

"He maintains his innocence," Garcia's attorney, J. Ceasar Galarza of Massapequa Park, said outside court. "He's looking forward to addressing these matters in court."

Two other men, Santos Garcia, 39, of Huntington Station, and Romel Garcia, 43, of Spring Hill, Fla., also were named in the indictment. Santos Garcia is due in court July 23 to answer charges of third-degree criminal sale of a firearm.

Romel Garcia, Carlos Garcia's brother, faces weapons and assault charges in Hernando County, Fla., where he is being held in jail. It is not clear whether Romel Garcia and Carlos Garcia are related to Santos Garcia, prosecutors have said.