Five men and two women, including three alleged gang members, are facing drug and gun trafficking charges after a year-long undercover investigation dismantled a Brooklyn-based operation, law enforcement officials announced Friday.
\nThe investigation, code-named \u201cGet Sturdy,\u201d led by the NYPD\u2019s Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North and overseen by the city\u2019s Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, began in September 2024, when detectives zeroed in on the stretch of Schenectady Avenue between Lincoln Place and Park Place, \u201ca corridor long plagued by drugs and violence,\u201d Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
\nThe Commissioner said detectives uncovered a group of individuals, consisting of two members of the G-Stone Crips and one member of the Bloods, who set aside gang rivalries to sell crack cocaine and traffic guns in the Weeksville section of Crown Heights.\u00a0
\nChief of Detectives Joseph Kenny remarked at the Oct. 3 press conference that it was not unusual for the rival groups to work together, \u201cwhen it comes down to it, red and blue, they care about green.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd when it comes to money, they\u2019ll get together to make that cash,\u201d said Kenny.
\nOver the course of 12 months, an undercover NYPD officer conducted 26 buys, purchasing 10 semi-automatic pistols, four revolvers, six long guns (including one altered into a fully automatic weapon), and 500 grams of crack cocaine.
\n\u201cThe takedown also recovered another loaded semi-automatic 9mm handgun, a large quantity of illicit drugs, including heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription pills,\u201d Tisch added.
\n
\nSeven of the individuals involved in the Crown Heights drug and gun ring were arrested during a takedown operation on Oct.1, while court-authorized search warrants resulted in the seizure of firearms and narcotics, authorities said.\u00a0
\nOfficials noted that most of the defendants had prior firearms arrests, and one was on parole for weapons possession at the time.
\nCommissioner Tisch said the case reflected the NYPD\u2019s broader \u201cprecision policing\u201d strategy, which targets small groups driving violence. \u201cWe are targeting the people who deal drugs, traffic guns, and put New Yorkers in harm\u2019s way \u2014 and we\u2019re holding them accountable,\u201d Tisch said.
\nShe noted that shootings citywide have dropped to historic lows, with the 77th Precinct \u2014 where the group allegedly operated \u2014 seeing a 45% decrease in shootings this year.<\/p>\n
At the center of the case is Dwayne Seales, 39, accused of running the loosely connected operation that prosecutors say \u201cplagued local businesses and residential streets\u201d with around-the-clock drug and gun sales. The dismantling of the Brooklyn-based drug and gun ring is a significant achievement for law enforcement, demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative efforts and precision policing strategies. The case highlights the complex and often deadly intersection of illegal drugs and firearms, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among law enforcement agencies. As the city continues to grapple with the challenges of drug trafficking and gun violence, the success of Operation Get Sturdy serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of targeted investigations and community-focused policing.<\/p>\n Q: What was the name of the undercover investigation that led to the dismantling of the Brooklyn-based drug and gun ring? Introduction to the Brooklyn Drug and Gun Ring Five men and two women, including three alleged gang members, are facing drug and gun trafficking charges after a year-long undercover investigation dismantled a Brooklyn-based operation, law enforcement officials announced Friday. The investigation, code-named \u201cGet Sturdy,\u201d led by the NYPD\u2019s Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North and overseen by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-23583","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-reports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DSC_3376.jpg?quality=51&w=384&w=384&resize=384,255&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23583"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23583"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23586,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23583\/revisions\/23586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAccording to Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan, Seales allegedly conducted 19 separate transactions with an undercover officer, selling more than a pound of narcotics and 20 firearms, including AR-style rifles and handguns with high-capacity magazines.
\nIn many cases, the guns were sold loaded, she said.
\nSales often took place in neighborhood businesses, including bodegas, a smoke shop and a Chinese restaurant, prosecutors said. In total, the undercover officer paid more than $35,000 for narcotics and guns.
\nBrennan said that Seales has been charged in a 28-count indictment, including criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first, second, and third degrees and criminal sales of a firearm in the first, second, and third degrees.
\nThe narcotics sales allegedly began with crack cocaine, sometimes taking place inside local businesses. Later, prosecutors say Seales expanded to fentanyl and heroin.
\nAuthorities said Seales dealt in increasingly dangerous drug mixtures, alleging that lab tests confirmed that some packets labeled as heroin actually contained fentanyl, cocaine, tramadol, xylazine, medetomidine, and other synthetic substances.
\nIn January 2025, he allegedly began offering firearms for sale, sending photos of available guns to the undercover officer and then arranging meet-ups, often on Sterling Place in Crown Heights.
\n\u201cTo set up the sales, he sent photographs to the undercover officer\u2019s phone displaying an array of firearms so the undercover could choose which one he wanted,\u201d said Brennan. \u201cAnd sometimes when he chose one, the officer was told that one was already taken.\u201d
\nSpecial Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan stands beside a table of seized firearms, including handguns, rifles, and high-capacity magazines, displayed after the announcement of \u201cOperation Get Sturdy\u201d<\/span>Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/span>
\nOther alleged participants include Akeel Baptiste, 27, and Tyrone Stewart, 43, charged with facilitating gun transactions; Kevin Thomas, 39, described as a narcotics supplier; and Ismail Abraham, 24, accused of working as a street-level dealer.
\nThe two women involved were identified as Sarahann Hinds, 36, and Medanie Wilson, 29.\u00a0 Prosecutors said they were\u00a0arrested in conjunction with court-authorized searches of residences associated with the organization.
\nThe group faces a range of charges, including criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal sale of a firearm, and criminal possession. Seales is charged with 19 drug sales and multiple firearms offenses.
\nBrennan praised the collaboration that made the case possible, highlighting work by the Brooklyn DA\u2019s office and NYPD narcotics detectives, as well as wiretap evidence and search warrants that helped secure the indictments.
\nBrennan alleges that Sales, with the assistance of others, maintained a \u201cconsistent presence and close watch\u201d over the neighborhood, which she said made it difficult for law enforcement to conduct surveillance.
\n\u201cThe wiretaps, as a result, were a particularly valuable tool in this case,\u201d she added.
\n\u201cThis case underscores the close nexus between illegal drugs and guns, which we have seen far too many times,\u201d Brennan said, adding that cocaine trafficking in the city has been on the rise since 2021, which she said reflects broader increases in South American production.
\nBrooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the result of the joint operation should be a \u201cwake-up call for bad guys.\u201d<\/span>Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/span>
\nBrooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the takedown \u201ca wake-up call to the bad guys out there in the street who think law enforcement can\u2019t work together.\u201d He said the partnership among prosecutors and police ensured that the defendants could not only be arrested, but also thoroughly investigated to dismantle the supply chain.
\n\u201cI want to applaud the NYPD for having the courage to take the time to build out this trafficking case because we could have arrested him on the first gun, but we need to make sure we\u2019re figuring out where these guns are going, where they\u2019re coming from, and the trafficking ring,\u201d Gonzalez said.
\n\u201cThese were dangerous drugs, and just the narcotics piece alone has made our community safer,\u201d he added.
\nAuthorities confirmed that the firearms will be traced in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to determine their origins, though early indications suggest they were trafficked from southern states.<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: The investigation was code-named \u201cGet Sturdy.\u201d
\nQ: How many individuals were arrested and charged in connection with the drug and gun ring?
\nA: Seven individuals, including five men and two women, were arrested and charged.
\nQ: What types of firearms were recovered during the investigation?
\nA: The investigation recovered 10 semi-automatic pistols, four revolvers, six long guns (including one altered into a fully automatic weapon), and other firearms.
\nQ: What was the role of the undercover NYPD officer in the investigation?
\nA: The undercover officer conducted 26 buys, purchasing narcotics and firearms from the suspects over the course of 12 months.
\nQ: What is the significance of the case in terms of the broader context of drug trafficking and gun violence in the city?
\nA: The case highlights the complex and often deadly intersection of illegal drugs and firearms, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"