Islip Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Role in Narcotics, Weapons Trafficking Ring: DA

ISLIP, NY — An Islip man was sentenced this week to 12 years in state prison for his role in a large-scale narcotics and weapons trafficking operation that prosecutors say fueled the spread of fentanyl, cocaine, and illegal firearms across Suffolk County.

Travis Austin, 31, of Islip, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in August 2025 to multiple felony charges, including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Sale of a Firearm, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

According to prosecutors — and Austin’s admissions during his guilty plea — the defendant participated in numerous large-scale sales of fentanyl and cocaine throughout Suffolk County between June and September 2024.

During that same period, prosecutors said Austin also illegally sold a loaded pistol and arranged the sale of four additional firearms.

On Oct. 1, 2024, Austin traveled to a Starbucks on Expressway Drive South in Islandia after arranging the sale of five guns, prosecutors said.

When Austin pulled into the parking lot, he was placed under arrest by law enforcement. His vehicle was seized and searched pursuant to a court-issued warrant.

Inside the car, police recovered five unserialized handguns — commonly known as ghost guns — containing 3D-printed component parts, prosecutors said. Authorities also recovered multiple cellphones consistent with narcotics and firearms trafficking, as well as fentanyl and felony-weight cocaine.

Investigators later executed a search warrant on a storage unit belonging to Austin. Inside, police recovered two kilo presses used to compress narcotics into brick form, along with additional drug paraphernalia consistent with large-scale drug dealing, according to the district attorney’s office.

Austin pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2025, before Steven Pilewski to three counts of First-Degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, all Class A-I felonies; six counts of Second-Degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, all Class A-II felonies; six counts of Second-Degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, all Class C violent felonies; one count of Criminal Possession of a High-Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device, a Class D violent felony; six counts of Third-Degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm, all Class D felonies; and 18 counts of Third-Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, all Class B felonies.

On Jan. 20, 2026, Austin was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. He was represented by Chase Brown, who was not immediately available for comment.

“This sentence is another example of my office’s commitment to keeping illegal guns and deadly drugs off our streets,” Tierney said. “If you possess, sell, or bring illegal guns and drugs to Suffolk County, we will find you, and you will face the consequences of breaking the law.”