Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, today announced the indictment of an alleged gun trafficking ring that purchased firearms in South Carolina and Virginia that were then transported on the Iron Pipeline and destined to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn.
Montoun Hart, 49, of Brownsville: Vernal Douglas, 49, of Flatlands; Christopher Hodges, 31, of Walterboro, South Carolina; and Ira Jones, 42, of South Boston, Virginia have been variously charged in a 139-count indictment with first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm; second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; fourth-degree conspiracy and related charges.
If convicted on all counts, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison.
Hart and Douglas were arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court. Hart has been remanded and bail was set at $750,000 for Douglas. Jones is awaiting extradition from Virginia. Hodges is being sought.
“This indictment is part of our multi-pronged approach to stem the surge in gun violence that we have seen in Brooklyn and throughout the entire city this year. We are determined to work with the Police Department to focus specifically on the drivers of crime, including those responsible for the proliferation of firearms by bringing them to the streets of Brooklyn. I commend the detectives, especially the undercovers, and my prosecutors for their joint efforts in this important case,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said the investigation spanned from October 2019 to October 2020 and began based on information obtained about an individual who was allegedly known as a gun merchant in Brownsville. It is alleged that on November 4, 2019, an undercover detective met defendant Hart for the purpose of purchasing firearms. The undercover allegedly made six controlled firearm purchases from the defendant from November 4 to November 19, 2019.
The undercover then facilitated a meeting between the defendant and another undercover, who posed as an associate of the original undercover and who would purchase firearms on his behalf. Between December 3, 2019 and December 30, 2019, the second undercover allegedly made three controlled firearm purchases from the defendant.
On January 17, 2020, the first undercover resumed purchasing firearms directly from Hart and conducted additional controlled firearms purchases. Over the course of the investigation, Hart allegedly conducted a total of 27 controlled gun buys with the undercover officers, selling a total of 44 firearms.
The investigation found that all three of Hart’s alleged suppliers operate independently from one another, but their individual practices are similar: once a supplier obtained a firearm, he would tell Hart the make, model and price via telephone, and often send a photo of it. Hart then passed the details on to his customer (i.e., the undercovers) and scheduled the sale. All of the alleged sales occurred within a block of Hart’s residence.
Douglas, who is employed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as a subway conductor and lives in Flatlands, also has an address in Williston, South Carolina, where he frequently travels. It is alleged that Douglas obtained firearms during trips to South Carolina and has also asked his sources in South Carolina to send him firearms via the mail.
It is alleged that Hodges, who lives in and operates out of Walterboro, South Carolina, accumulates firearms from a variety of sources and then travels up to New York via a Chinatown bus company to transfer the firearms to Hart.
Finally, it is alleged that Jones, who lives and operates out of South Boston, Virginia, also travels up to New York with firearms for Hart to sell on the streets of Brooklyn.
Among the numerous firearms recovered are two assault weapons: a German Sport Guns .22 caliber rifle and a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, as well as a Ruger .44 caliber revolver, a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver, a Springfield Armory 9mm pistol, a Taurus 9mm, a Glock .380 caliber, a Glock 9mm, and a Ruger P89 9mm pistol.
