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The investigation dismantled the criminal enterprise, took 12 guns off the street — including an assault rifle – and led to charges against the alleged leader of the trafficking ring, Travis Thomas, 41, of South Carolina, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
Five of his gun suppliers in South Carolina, and nine “middlemen” who allegedly helped broker the sale of guns in Paterson were also indicted, Platkin said.
The following individuals were indicted:
South Carolina Gun Suppliers — The role of these alleged gun suppliers was to seek and procure weapons at the request of Thomas and on his behalf to be transported and sold in New Jersey:
- Jaquon McCoy, 32, of Lamar, SC
- Christopher Johnson, 41, of Lamar, SC
- Ralph Antonio Ervin, 31, of Lamar, SC
- Dontrel Nashon Scott, 23, of Timmonsville, SC
- Vinson M. Ervin, 32, of Lamar, SC
Middlemen — The role of these alleged middlemen in the trafficking operation was to find buyers for the firearms Thomas was planning to transport from South Carolina to New Jersey for sale:
- Yaquin Perry, 37, of Paterson, NJ
- Marquetta Wilson, 33, of Paterson, NJ
- William Thomas, 40, of Paterson, NJ
- Kamar Walker, 21, of Paterson, NJ
- Tyquan Evans, 38, of Paterson, NJ
- Kyziek McCaskill, 33, of Paterson, NJ
- Karie Washington, 28, of Paterson, NJ
- Neilzhon Williams, 23, of Paterson, NJ
- Kyeem Dowell, 26, of Paterson, NJ
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Thomas, would reach out to his suppliers to ask what firearms they could get for him, and they would obtain the guns through street buys from other individuals, authorities said.
He would then send photos of the firearms to his middlemen in Paterson and tell them how much money he was charging for each gun. Thomas routinely sold guns in New Jersey for three times what he had paid for them in South Carolina. The middlemen would then shop the photos around Paterson for buyers, increasing the prices to ensure their own profit.
Three of the guns allegedly trafficked into Paterson by Thomas were later found in the possession of individuals under arrest on narcotics distribution charges. A fourth gun was used in the attempted robbery of a ride-share driver in Paterson and was recovered by police when the gunman left it behind at the scene.
A 39-count indictment handed up by a State Grand Jury on Oct. 21 charges all 15 defendants with first-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy to transport guns into the state for unlawful sale or transfer, and various other offenses related to illegal weapons trafficking from December 2018 to December 2021.
Thomas was also charged with first-degree leader of a firearms trafficking network, first-degree promoting organized street crime, and more than two dozen weapons offenses.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by NJSP with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
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