NYC gun trafficking ring broken up, 180 illegal firearms seized

In another effort to turn off the “Iron Pipeline” of guns to New York City, Queens prosecutors and NYPD officials announced Thursday the arrest of five men — including a 70-year-old Tennessee man — and the seizure of 180 illegal firearms.

Dubbed “Operation Hotcakes,” the nearly yearlong undercover operation began with a tip that a network in Queens and the Bronx was bringing in weapons through the Tennessee man, who evaded federal firearms regulations, authorities said. He allegedly supplied some of the guns that police said could be sold on the street for more than $1,000 each.

Charged as a key supplier in the case was Richard Horne, 70, of Blountville, Tennessee. Horne was charged in an indictment with numerous counts of first-degree criminal sale of a firearm as well as other crimes, including conspiracy, said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, speaking at news conference with Katz, touted the latest roundup, which involved wiretap evidence. Sewell said it was also a sign that the city had more work to do to stem the flow of guns at a time when her cops alone have seized more than 4,000 weapons so far this year.

“This work we all must continue — and we will — because the lives of New Yorkers we serve depend on it,” Sewell said in a statement.

Guns recovered in the operation included Glocks and other 9 mm pistols, revolvers and one plastic “ghost gun,” as well as 136 high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police said.

Horne was arrested Wednesday in Tennessee and is awaiting extradition to New York, Katz said. The other four defendants, all New York City residents from either Queens or the Bronx, were also indicted on various gun trafficking charges and ordered held without bail Thursday, Katz said.

The average age of all of the defendants was over 47, compared to usual suspects in such cases who have been in their teens and 20s. They face maximum sentences of 50 years in prison.

The so-called "Iron Pipeline," flowing from southern states to the metropolitan area, has long been recognized as the prime source of illegal guns in the city. Over the years, police have initiated a number of investigations aimed at disrupting the flow.

The battle against gun trafficking has taken on a new urgency as shootings in the city, while 7% lower than the same time last year, remain at some of the highest levels in the past five years. Some high-profile shootings, such as an  incident earlier in the week in which a 14 year-old boy was shot and killed in Harlem, come on top of a 37% spike in the most serious crimes this year compared to 2021.

“We have seen far too many instances of guns, purchased down South and trafficked into New York, that are then recovered at devastating crimes scenes, leaving bloodshed and tragedy on our streets,” said Katz in a statement.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.