Joint OAG-NYPD Operation Leads To Charges Against Four Defendants For Allegedly Selling Dozens Of Illegal Guns; Defendants Could Face 25 Years In Prison
(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton today announced the take-down of a high-volume gun trafficking ring that allegedly funneled firearms from South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee to New York City, often aboard Greyhound buses. Donovan Bryant, Shantae Blue, Marlon Manswell and Colby Inabinet have all been charged for their participation in the illegal gun ring. Defendants, Bryant, Blue and Manswell, were arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court today. A warrant has been issued for the fourth defendant, Colby Inabinet.
The joint investigation between the NYPD and the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force relied on undercover work, wiretaps, and other surveillance to seize 50 illegal guns smuggled in from out of state.
According to the 53-count criminal complaint, Bryant – with the aid of Blue, Mansell, and Inabinet — brought dozens of guns to New York City from South Carolina and sold them to an undercover officer between June 18 and October 21, 2015. Bryant, a North Carolina resident who uses a wheelchair, allegedly brought guns from South Carolina to the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. He allegedly then contacted Manswell, an Uber driver, to pick him up and drive him to meet up with the undercover officer in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and East New York neighborhoods.
“Gun-trafficking rings like this one fuel the gun violence that threatens New York families and law enforcement,” said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “Today’s bust is a testament to the hard work, bravery, and commitment of the NYPD, our Organized Crime Task Force, and all of us in law enforcement to rooting out deadly weapons traveling into New York from anywhere–especially along the iron pipeline. The message to gun runners is clear – if you bring deadly illegal weapons into our communities, we will catch you and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This investigation illustrates gun traffickers’ greed for profit and their disturbing indifference to the death that illegal firearms continue to bring to our families. The NYPD remains steadfast in our commitment to holding responsible those who flood the streets of New York with illegal guns. I commend the investigators and prosecutors who dedicated themselves to this case and stopped dozens of weapons from reaching the hands of criminals,” said Police Commissioner William J. Bratton.
The wiretaps included in the complaint provide a particularly vivid view of how the gun ring operated. In a July 13 text message from Bryant to the undercover officer, for example, Bryant allegedly wrote that he “Got one more for u I made it happen 357 magnum.” Later in the conversation, Bryant wrote that the guns he was preparing to sell would “Knock u out your socks” and “This **** go thru helmets park a **** real quick,” according to the complaint filed today.
- Donovan Bryant, of Charlotte, NC is facing 51 counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree, one count of criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, and one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree.
- Shantae Blue, of Charlotte, NC, is facing 18 counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree, one count of criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, and one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree.
- Marlon Manswell, of Brooklyn, NY, is facing 12 counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree, one count of criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, and one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree.
- Colby Inabinet, of Greenville, SC , is facing 1 count of criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree, one count of criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree, and one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree.
The charges against the defendants are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Since 2011, OCTF has seized more than 300 firearms from gun traffickers. During the same time period, OCTF has also busted 24 large narcotics trafficking gangs in more than 600 felony narcotics arrests, and seized from them more than $1.5 million and more than 2,000 pounds of illegal drugs.
