Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice announced that four members of a Paterson, New Jersey, gun trafficking ring – including the leader – were sentenced today for their roles in a criminal operation that transported more than 120 guns from South Carolina into New Jersey for illegal sale here.
The ringleader, Travis Thomas, 45, of Lamar, South Carolina, originally of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey state prison, with a mandatory 85% parole ineligibility under the No Early Release Act. Thomas previously pleaded guilty to first-degree racketeering.
“New Jersey is fortunate to have some of the toughest gun safety laws in the country, but we must be vigilant about preventing weapons from being trafficked here from other states,” said Attorney General Davenport. “We are always working to stop gun trafficking.”
“The leader of this enterprise was able to buy guns cheaply and easily from South Carolina and then deliver them to Paterson, where he had ties to the community,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “He may have thought flooding New Jersey with weapons was an easy way to make money, but putting New Jersey residents at risk with these dangerous weapons has serious consequences.”
“The sentencing of these individuals — including the alleged ringleader — to prison for trafficking firearms into New Jersey sends a powerful and unmistakable message: those who fuel violence and profit from putting lives at risk will be met with decisive consequences,” said Jeanne Hengemuhle, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). “Illegal guns have no place in our neighborhoods, and every firearm taken out of the wrong hands is a critical step in preventing tragedy. This case reinforces our firm commitment to protecting lives and preserving the safety and stability of the communities we serve.”
Also sentenced today were three codefendants who previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme:
- Yaquin Perry, 40, of Paterson, seven years in New Jersey state prison, 85% parole ineligibility; second-degree transporting a firearm into the state for unlawful sale
- Tyquan Evans, 41, of Paterson, five years in New Jersey state prison, 85% parole ineligibility; second-degree transporting a firearm into the state for an unlawful sale
- Marquetta Wilson, 36, non-custodial probation, third-degree conspiracy to dispose of an assault firearm
Two codefendants who previously pleaded guilty were sentenced earlier this year to New Jersey state prison. The remaining nine defendants previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The defendants were charged as a result of an investigation conducted by the New Jersey State Police, with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), that dismantled the criminal enterprise and led to charges against Thomas, five of his gun suppliers in South Carolina, and nine “middlemen” who allegedly helped broker the sale of guns in Paterson. During the investigation, law enforcement seized 12 firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, six semiautomatic pistols, three revolvers, and two handguns. Evidence recovered from Thomas’s cell phone indicated that Thomas was responsible for trafficking more than 120 firearms into New Jersey from South Carolina.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Thomas organized and directed various individuals in South Carolina to procure guns for him to transport from South Carolina for sale in New Jersey. Thomas would reach out to his suppliers to ask what firearms they could get for him, and they would obtain the guns through street buys from other individuals. Thomas would then send photos of the firearms to his middlemen in Paterson and tell them how much money he was charging for each gun. Thomas routinely sold guns in New Jersey for three times what he had paid for them in South Carolina. The middlemen shopped the photos around Paterson for buyers, increasing the prices to ensure their own profit.
On December 10, 2021, NJSP detectives arrested Thomas as he arrived in New Jersey from South Carolina with an assault rifle, semiautomatic pistol, and revolver in his possession. According to evidence obtained in the investigation, Thomas had purchased the AR-15 assault rifle in South Carolina for $400 and planned to sell it to a buyer in Paterson for $2,200. A review of Thomas’s cellphone and Facebook account showed three years of text messages and Facebook Messenger conversations related to a firearm trafficking enterprise run by Thomas.
This investigation was led by the New Jersey State Police’s Drug & Weapons Trafficking Central Unit, by Detective Sergeant Tyler Zarecki and Captain Erik Hoffman. Deputy Attorneys General Karen Braciszewski and Jesse Magliulo prosecuted the case for the Division.
Attorney General Davenport thanked the ATF in New Jersey and South Carolina for their assistance in the investigation. She also thanked the Brick Township and Paterson police departments in New Jersey; the Hartsville and Lamar police departments and the Darlington County and Florence County sheriff’s offices in South Carolina; and the U.S. Marshals Task Force.
