By Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo Reporter Producer
MANHATTAN — Seven Inwood men allegedly ran a lucrative gun trafficking and drug ring, according to a 106-count indictment released by authorities Wednesday.
Police said the men sold guns, cocaine and Ecstasy to an undercover police detective during a 10-month investigation.
“While crime in Manhattan is at a historic low, illegal guns — which typically proliferate in symbiotic relation with drug trafficking, as in this case – continue to pose a serious threat to the safety of New York City residents and the police," Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.
The ring primarily operated from West 212th Street to West 215th Street and between Broadway and 10th Ave in Inwood, often selling drugs and guns from an apartment building across from an elementary school, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.
"This case is an example of the continuing efforts of the District Attorney’s Office, working with the Police Department, to rid Manhattan of illegal guns and reduce gun violence," Morgenthau said. "Cutting off sources of supply, by seeing that illegal traffickers are arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison is a critical part of those efforts.”
The indictment includes charges for the sale and possession of 22 weapons — including three assault weapons — and more than $16,000 worth of cocaine and Ecstasy.
Police have arrested Marcel Navarro, Christopher Navarro, Juan Carlos Lopez and Kenny Grullon in connection with the felonies. They are still looking for suspects Michael Berrios, Emmanuel Felix and Juan Pichardo.
The men face a variety of felony gun and drug charges that carry sentences of up to 25 years in prison.
