MINEOLA, N.Y. — A Long Beach man has been indicted on multiple charges, including the sale of illegal firearms and drug trafficking, after allegedly selling 10 illegal guns—some of which were linked to shootings in Queens and Nassau County—over a three-month period, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced.
James Jayshaun Edwards, 33, was arraigned on August 22, 2024, before Judge Robert Schwartz on a range of serious charges. These include Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, and various other weapons and drug-related offenses. Edwards pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $500,000 cash, $750,000 bond, and $1.5 million partially secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 20, 2024. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
District Attorney Donnelly described Edwards’ actions as a “brazen illegal open-air weapons trafficking business” that operated in front of his apartment on Birch Court, just steps away from Long Beach Police Department Headquarters. The investigation, which began in April 2024, involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD).
According to the charges, between April and July 2024, Edwards allegedly sold 10 illegal firearms, including an AR-15 style ghost gun and an assault pistol, as well as multiple loaded firearms. The sales occurred in broad daylight, with Edwards reportedly packaging the weapons in duffle bags and diaper boxes. The investigation also revealed that Edwards sold approximately 20 grams of cocaine during this period.
Ballistics testing conducted by the ATF linked two of the firearms sold by Edwards to multiple shootings that occurred between 2021 and 2022 in Queens, Roosevelt, Westbury, and Long Beach. Three separate shootings in Nassau County, which injured four people, were connected to the same gun. These incidents are currently being prosecuted by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, with charges including multiple counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree and Assault in the First Degree.
“This multi-jurisdictional operation not only made the streets of Long Beach safer but has provided us with a key piece of evidence to aid in those prosecutions,” DA Donnelly stated. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we continue to take out traffickers who are bringing weapons into Nassau County, disrupt the pipeline of illegal guns, and save lives.”
The collaboration among various law enforcement agencies was key to the operation’s success. ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller highlighted the importance of disrupting firearms trafficking, stating, “The unchecked flow of firearms is a direct contributor to gun violence in our streets. Disrupting firearms trafficking schemes like this is a top priority for ATF.”
Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma and Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder also emphasized the effectiveness of multi-agency cooperation in ensuring public safety. NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban underscored the importance of these efforts in preventing further tragedies and holding those involved in illegal activities accountable.
The indictment serves as a significant step in the ongoing efforts to combat illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence in the region.
