Long Beach Man Indicted in Trafficking Investigation for Selling Illegal Weapons in Front of Home
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Long Beach man was indicted for allegedly selling 10 illegal guns, including assault weapons and a ghost gun, in broad daylight in front of his apartment between April and July 2024. Two of the weapons have been traced to multiple shootings in Queens and Nassau County that occurred as early as 2021.
James Jayshaun Edwards, 33, was arraigned on August 22, 2024, before Judge Robert Schwartz on charges including Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree (a B violent felony); Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); 20 counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree (a D violent felony); 10 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); six counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree ( a D violent felony); 10 counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm (an E felony); Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (an A-II felony); Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony); and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony).
The defendant pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $500,000 cash, $750,000 bond, and $1.5 million partially secured bond. The defendant is due back in court on September 20, 2024. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years in prison.
“The defendant allegedly conducted a brazen illegal open-air weapons trafficking business just steps away from Long Beach Police Department Headquarters, packaging up high-powered weapons in duffle bags and diaper boxes and selling them in broad daylight in front of his home,” said DA Donnelly. “Our investigation determined that two of the guns were used in multiple shootings that injured four victims in Westbury and Long Beach dating back to 2021, which are currently being prosecuted by my office. This multi-jurisdictional operation not only made the streets of Long Beach safer but has provided us with a key piece of evidence to aid in those prosecutions. Together with our law enforcement partners, we continue to take out traffickers who are bringing weapons into Nassau County, disrupt the pipeline of illegal guns, and save lives.”
“This indictment highlights ATF’s efforts to identify, investigate, and stop gun traffickers using crime gun intelligence. The unchecked flow of firearms is a direct contributor to gun violence in our streets. Disrupting firearms trafficking schemes like this is a top priority for ATF. This required diligent work & tireless dedication,” said ATF NY Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller. “I’d like to thank the men & women of ATF NY’s Joint Firearms Task Force, along with our partners at NYPD’s Major Case Field Intelligence Unit, Long Beach PD, Nassau County PD & Nassau County District Attorney for their commitment to this critical public safety mission. This case is yet another example of how local, county, and state partners can collaborate with ATF to make the streets safer for all.”
Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma stated, “This is a textbook example of multi-agency cooperation. LBPD Detectives worked seamlessly with the ATF, NYPD, NCPD and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office to make an arrest in this large-scale investigation. We will continue to use our partnerships to keep our residents safe.”
“This indictment speaks to the power of multiagency collaboration and how critical it is to our work combating the sale of illegal firearms in our communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “Shutting down this shameless operation in Long Beach prevented untold tragedies, and we will continue investigating until everyone involved in the trafficking pipeline is held to account. I commend the ongoing efforts of our NYPD detectives, the Nassau County district attorney’s office, and all of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to our shared public safety mission.”
“The Nassau County Police Department has longstanding, strong relationships with our local and federal law enforcement partners, including the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office,” said Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “Through a combination of intelligence-led policing and thorough investigations by our Detective Division, the men and women of the NCPD work tirelessly every day to take illegal guns off our streets and keep Nassau County the Safest County in America.”
DA Donnelly said that in April 2024, NCDA began working together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force (“ATF”), the Long Beach Police Department (“LBPD”), the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and the Nassau County Police Department (“NCPD”), on an investigation into defendant Edwards after receiving a tip that the defendant was selling illegal weapons.
According to the charges, between April 2024 and July 2024, the defendant allegedly sold a total of 10 illegal firearms, including an assault pistol, an AR-15 style “ghost gun,” and multiple pistols and loaded firearms in front of his home on Birch Court in Long Beach.
The defendant also allegedly sold approximately 20 grams of cocaine to a buyer.
Nearly all the weapons were loaded, and the defendant allegedly sold hundreds of rounds of extra ammunition with the weapons.
Ballistics comparisons performed by the ATF on the guns allegedly purchased from the defendant showed that two weapons had also been used in multiple shootings in Queens, New York, Roosevelt, Westbury, and Long Beach that took place between August 2021 and June 2022.
Three separate shootings in Nassau County are associated with the same gun and caused various injuries to four victims. These shootings are currently being prosecuted by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Charges include multiple counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree and Assault in the First Degree.
The defendant was arrested on August 22, 2024, in Long Beach by members of the LBPD, ATF, and NYPD.
An investigation into the suppliers of the weapons is ongoing.
From January 2024 to date, 223 illegal weapons have been recovered by law enforcement in Nassau County, a 14.5% decrease from the same period last year.
NCDA thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force, the New York City Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department, and the New York State Police for their partnership in this investigation and prosecution.
The case is being prosecuted by Unit Chief Lee Genser of the Firearms Suppression and Intelligence Unit of the Narcotics, Firearms and Gangs Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Nicholas Mauro and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Division Rick Whelan. Edwards is represented by Robert Schalk, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.