Queens Gun Traffickers Indicted After 70+ Firearms Seized

Authorities in Queens have indicted Teddy "JD Yikes" Gaston and Jezerel Huston on a 194-count grand jury indictment for trafficking more than 70 firearms, including assault rifles and a ghost gun, along with fentanyl and cocaine. The six-month joint investigation by the NYPD, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Queens District Attorney's Office revealed that the defendants purchased firearms legally in Georgia and transported them to Queens for sale, primarily conducting transactions in a McDonald's parking lot in Rosedale. The operation is part of what officials call the “Iron Pipeline,” a route used to bring guns from states with lax gun laws to New York City. Authorities emphasized the risks posed by this trafficking to public safety, noting some of the seized weapons had been used in shootings in Maryland and Georgia. Officials including Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Mayor Eric Adams, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the investigation for removing thousands of guns from city streets this year and driving down shootings to record lows. Gaston and Huston remain in custody and face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.