55 ghost guns among massive illegal firearms bust in Queens, Attorney General Letitia James says
NEW YORK -- New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday announced a massive weapons bust in Queens.
James said a 625-count indictment charged five people in an alleged gun-trafficking operation that led to the confiscation of 86 firearms, including 55 ghost guns and 25 assault weapons, along with 90 high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
She said Satveer Saini, 20, of East Elmhurst; Mateo Castro-Agudelo, 21, of Long Island City; Hargeny Fernandez-Gonzalez, 20, of Richmond Hill; Adam Youssef Senhaji-Rivas, 20, of Astoria; and Milanjit Sidhu, 20, of Greenwood, Indiana, were engaged in an operation that transported 3D-printed ghost guns and serialized firearms into Queens, where they were stored and sold.
"When gun traffickers flood neighborhoods with untraceable firearms, they fuel violence that tears communities apart," James said in a statement, adding, "I will continue to use every available resource to stop illegal gun trafficking and protect our communities from the dangers of gun violence. I thank our partners in this investigation for their diligent work to keep New Yorkers safe."
James credited the Organized Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations New York and the NYPD for their efforts leading to the arrests.
The accused face firearms charges and, if convicted, could get the maximum of 25 years in prison.
"These charges highlight law enforcement's relentless efforts to rid our streets of untraceable ghost guns and other illegal firearms, leading to New York City's ongoing reductions in shootings and homicides this year," NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said. "Simply put, our investigators save lives when they disrupt and dismantle the dangerous networks behind the manufacture, transport, and sale of these illicit weapons. I commend and thank the New York Attorney General's Office and all of the NYPD's local, state, and federal partners for their hard work on this important case and their continued dedication to our shared public safety mission."