NEW YORK—Following an 18-month undercover investigation, the NYPD seized more than 45 illegal guns, 14 of which were sent through the mail.
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said the defendants put guns in baking tins and covered them in socks before shipping via express mail from Georgia to New York City. The guns were all sold to an undercover police detective.
A marshal from the United States Post Office called the activity “very unusual.”
NYPD agents had the tracking numbers on the packages, allowing them through.
Commissioner Kelly said he would not comment on whether the guns would have made it through the mail if investigators had not known of the shipment.
Eleven of the guns police recovered were stolen.
Walter Dandridge, aka “Butta”, 35, of Harlem in New York City was charged with 53 felony counts. Mark Winston, aka “Koo”, 39, of Macon, Georgia, was charged with 44 felony counts. Winston is awaiting extradition to New York.
According to the New York County District Attorney’s office, Winston allegedly used Dandridge as a middleman for the sales, and Dandridge wired payments to Winston through Western Union.
From September 2012, Winston sold guns directly to the detective, without Dandridge’s involvement, the DA’s office said.
The guns were sold for $200 to $300 each.
This was the 16th gun trafficking indictment since New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr took office in January of 2010. Since that time 555 illegal guns have been taken off the streets.
