SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Police Department announced on Thursday the recovery of 16 guns involved in an illegal trafficking operation, stemming from an investigation that began on August 31, 2021, when the ATF Syracuse requested information on a gun purchaser in Georgia with ties to Syracuse. The purchaser had been flagged by the ATF for buying multiple firearms.
The investigation revealed that the purchaser had bought at least 52 handguns from May 25, 2021, through September 2, 2021.
Of those handguns, 16 were recovered in the Syracuse area between September 28, 2021, and February 26, 2023. One of the recovered guns was used in a murder/suicide, and three were multiple-use firearms, meaning they were used in multiple gun-crime incidents. Several handguns were recovered while being possessed by documented gang members.
Two defendants from Syracuse with Georgia ties have been indicted on a total of 150 felony charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal sale of a firearm, and conspiracy in the fourth degree. Both defendants are currently in custody, and their cases are pending in Onondaga County Court. The Syracuse Police Department worked closely with the ATF Syracuse, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation during this joint investigation.