Three alleged members of a gun and drug trafficking ring who allegedly bought firearms in South Carolina and then transported them on the “Iron Pipeline” to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn might soon be facing some serious time in the slammer, authorities said today.
Markie Brown, 44, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Darryl Currie, 49, of Oakland Gardens, Queens and Craig Darby, 46, of Conway, South Carolina were arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Harrington and variously charged with first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm; first-, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and fourth-degree conspiracy.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the investigation began in June 2018, when an undercover detective allegedly purchased four handguns from Brown. According to the indictment, an undercover detective allegedly purchased a total of 36 guns during 11 transactions, in the vicinity of Fulton Street and Broadway in East New York and, later, in the vicinity of DeKalb Avenue and Throop Avenue, in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
It is alleged that, as part of the conspiracy, Darby and Currie provided Brown with firearms that he then sold to the undercover detective. The weapons were allegedly purchased legally in South Carolina and brought to Brooklyn for resale.
The defendants allegedly sold a wide variety of firearms to the undercover, including: a Glock 9mm pistol, a Springfield Armory 9mm pistol, a Ruger .380 caliber pistol, a Taurus International .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, a Sig-Sauer .22 caliber pistol, a Ruger 9mm and others, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Furthermore, authorities allege that Chapman operated as the primary supplier of heroin to re-sellers who operated within Brooklyn and elsewhere. Chapman allegedly traveled to Brooklyn and elsewhere to deliver heroin to his re-sellers, including Cabrera, who then allegedly resold that heroin to Currie. Currie then allegedly sold the heroin to multiple individuals.
“The guns that were recovered as part of this investigation are exactly the types of weapons used to commit violence in our communities. These indictments reflect our continued commitment to focusing on drivers of crime, maintaining public safety and stopping the influx of guns into Brooklyn from Southern states with lax gun laws. I thank the police and my prosecutors for their joint efforts in this case,” said Gonzalez.
New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said the NYPD will tirelessly target not only those who might use illegal firearms, but also those who would profit from their sale.
“I want to thank our local state and federal law enforcement partners involved in bringing the members of this illegal gun and drug trafficking network to answer for their crimes,” said O’Neill.
Harrington set bail at $250,000 for Brown and $100,000 for Currie and ordered the defendants to return to court on May 20, 2019. Darby is awaiting extradition from South Carolina. If convicted on gun trafficking charges, the three could face up to 25 years in jail.
