ISLIP, NY – A Suffolk County man who admitted to running a large-scale narcotics and firearms trafficking ring across the region has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, 31-year-old Travis Austin of Islip pleaded guilty in August to a series of felony charges including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree. The plea followed an extensive investigation linking Austin to multiple high-volume sales of fentanyl, cocaine, and illegal guns between June and September 2024.
Authorities said Austin was arrested on October 1, 2024, after arriving at a Starbucks on Expressway Drive South in Islandia to finalize the sale of five firearms. Detectives moved in as he pulled into the parking lot, recovering five unserialized handguns containing 3D-printed parts, along with several cellphones, fentanyl, and felony-weight cocaine from his vehicle.
A subsequent search of Austin’s storage unit uncovered two kilo presses used for packaging narcotics, as well as additional drug paraphernalia consistent with drug distribution.
District Attorney Tierney said the sentence underscores his office’s commitment to targeting individuals who traffic deadly drugs and illegal weapons in Suffolk County. “If you possess, sell or bring illegal guns and drugs to Suffolk County, we will find you and you will face the consequences,” Tierney said.
Austin pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski to multiple top-level narcotics and weapons charges, including:
- Three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, Class A-I felonies
- Six counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, Class A-II felonies
- Six counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, Class C violent felonies
- Criminal Possession of a High-Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device, a Class D violent felony
- Six counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree, Class D felonies
- Eighteen counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, all Class B felonies
Austin was represented by attorney Chase Brown. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kristen E. L. Yeamans of the Violent Crime Enterprises Bureau and investigated by the Suffolk County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad.
Key Points: Islip man gets 12 years in prison for fentanyl, cocaine, and gun trafficking operation – Islip
- Travis Austin, 31, of Islip, sentenced to 12 years in prison for large-scale drug and gun sales
- Police recovered unserialized 3D-printed firearms, fentanyl, and cocaine from his vehicle and storage unit
- The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office led the investigation through its Violent Crime Enterprises Bureau