4 Passaic County Arms Dealers Face Judge

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Four members of a Paterson arms dealing ring have been sentenced for their roles in the gun trafficking.

The “ringleader,” Travis Thomas, 45, of Lamar, South Carolina, originally of Paterson, was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey state prison, according to the attorney general’s office.

The following co-conspirators also were sentenced:

• Yaquin Perry, 40, seven years in New Jersey state prison, 85 percent parole ineligibility; second-degree transporting a firearm into the state for unlawful sale
• Tyquan Evans, 41, five years in New Jersey state prison, 85 percent 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, with nine other guilty defendants awaiting sentencing.

According to officials, Thomas would direct several people in South Carolina to procure guns for him to be sold 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 people. He would then send photos of the firearms to his middlemen in Paterson and tell them how much money he was charging for each gun, officials said.

The guns were often sold for three times as much as Thomas paid for them, investigators added.

In December 2021, Thomas was arrested when he arrived in New Jersey in possession of an assault rifle, semiautomatic pistol, and revolver. Authorities determined he planned to sell the assault rifle, which he bought in South Carolina for $400, for $2,200 to a buyer in Paterson.

“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.”