New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed on Wednesday, Jan. 29, that Muayad Qader, 35, of Poughkeepsie, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies for his role in a sprawling narcotics and illegal firearms network. His main supplier, Jason Knapp, a Dutchess County resident who built untraceable AR-style ghost guns in his home, received a 40-year prison sentence.
The convictions are the result of an 18-month investigation into gun and drug trafficking in Dutchess County, leading to the indictment of nine people, including several from Poughkeepsie.
"These dangerous criminals flooded New York communities with untraceable ghost guns and counterfeit opioids containing deadly amounts of fentanyl," James said, adding, "The convictions and sentences we secured are putting a stop to deadly gun and drug trafficking operations, protecting New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley."
According to prosecutors, Knapp manufactured ghost AR-15-style rifles in his Dutchess County home and sold them to Qader in Poughkeepsie, often meeting at a Valero gas station or Qader’s residence.
Qader then resold the illegal firearms throughout the area.
Several other Dutchess County residents were convicted for their roles in the network, including:
- Louis Gonzalez, 53, of LaGrangeville – Pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm; awaiting sentencing;
- Christopher Evans, 34, of Poughkeepsie – Sentenced to four years in prison for selling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl;
- Curtis Holland, 32, of Poughkeepsie – Awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to drug charges;
- Aaron Steppe, 29, of Poughkeepsie – Sentenced to five years in prison for drug sales and conspiracy.
During the investigation, law enforcement recovered 31 firearms, including:
- 14 unserialized AR-15-style ghost guns;
- High-capacity magazines;
- Hundreds of rounds of ammunition;
- 5,000 counterfeit fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills with a street value of $150,000;
- $55,000 in cash.
The probe also led to a 63-count indictment charging seven defendants with selling fentanyl-laced pills in Dutchess County.
The arrests and convictions were part of a joint effort between the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force, the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit – Hudson Valley, the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department.
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