MINEOLA, Long Island (WABC) — Authorities in Nassau County say they have made one of the largest gun-trafficking busts in the county’s history.
Six people were arrested and charged with 13 crimes and more than 100 counts combined. The operation also led to the discovery of a large stash of narcotics.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the arrests came after a 14-month investigation, during which authorities recovered 47 firearms.
“Some of them have high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, which are also illegal,” Ryder said.
It all began in April of 2025 with a routine pullover by an undercover cop that led to an arrest and one gun found — and ultimately led to police discovering the sale of weapons across the region, including guns being sold outside a school on the border between Nassau and Queens.
“This is one of the largest gun-trafficking cases that I have seen in my 37 years in the district attorney’s office,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “Any single one of these nearly 50 guns had the potential to do untold damage in our neighborhoods, in our region, in our state.”
Investigators also recovered 1 kilogram of cocaine and 150 grams of heroin.
Authorities said some of the guns were used in shootings in Suffolk County and Alabama.
Three of the six defendants are in the United States illegally, according to authorities.
Those arrested include:
Robert Petgrave, 30, of Queens
Andrew Petgrave, 37, of Queens
Clayton Solomon, 48, of Elmont and Laurelton
Shaheed Folks, 25, of Queens
Raheem Smith, 22, of Jamaica, Queens
Jamari Puri, 35, of Springfield Gardens
Investigators said Smith is from Mexico, Folks is from Jamaica, and Puri’s country of origin is unknown. Officials said all three entered the United States illegally. Investigators believe all six defendants have ties to a gang based in Jamaica.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican running for governor, spoke about the arrests.
“This was a takedown of historic proportions that will not only make Nassau County safer, but the whole region,” Blakeman said.
Law enforcement officials said additional arrests are possible and that more charges could be filed against those already arrested.
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