MINEOLA, NY — Six Nassau men were charged with multiple counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal sale of a firearm, and other charges in one of the largest gun trafficking investigations in the county's history, officials said Friday.
The arrests are the result of a 14-month-long joint investigation led by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Firearms Suppression and Intelligence Unit, and included the police department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division, Long Island District Office Task Force.
The following people were arrested:
He pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $500,000 cash/ $1 million bond/ $2.5 million partially secured bond. He was also ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $500,000 cash/ $1 million bond/ $2.5 million partially secured bond. He was also ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 8 to 20 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $500,000 cash/ $1 million bond/ $2.5 million partially secured bond. He was also ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 8 to 20 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $250,000 cash/ $500,000 bond/ $1.25 million partially secured bond. He was also ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and was released to pretrial services with electronic monitoring. If convicted, he faces up to 1-1/3 to 4 years in prison.
They are all due back in court on July 21.
Defense attorneys for Folkes, Solomon, Purrier, and Andrew Petgrave were not immediately available after business hours.
Attorney, Joseph LoPiccolo of Garden City, said that while the DEA, DA, and police state they have been investigating this matter for over a year, the defense has had the case for less than 12 hours, and seen no evidence.
"We expect to scrutinize all the investigative notes, reports, videos, and other discovery which the government will need to prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt," he said. "Otherwise, my client retains his presumption of innocence."
Attorneys for Smith and Folkes declined to comment.
A woman who answered the phone of Robert Petgrave's attorney, Justin Feinman of Mineola, said he previously declined to comment.
Beginning in April 2025, the DA's office, working in conjunction with ATF, DEA, and police, began a firearms and narcotics trafficking investigation into the suspected gang-related activities of the defendants, Donnelly's office said.
The defendants obtained firearms from out of state, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, and trafficked them into Valley Stream and Queens, according to Donnelly.
As targets of an undercover operation, Robert Petgrave and Andrew Petgrave obtained illegal firearms from Smith and other sources, then sold the firearms to undercover law enforcement officers on eight separate occasions, Donnelly said, adding that Folkes and Solomon were present at the time of some of the illegal gun transactions.
On multiple occasions, Purrier and Andrew Petgrave sold heroin and cocaine to undercover officers in 13 separate transactions, according to Donnelly.
The narcotics transactions occurred throughout Valley Stream, Hempstead, and Queens.
As a result of the monthslong investigation, law enforcement recovered 47 illegal handguns, around 900 grams of cocaine, and 150 grams of heroin, Donnelly said.
Donnelly credited the police, ATF, DEA, Suffolk police, the New York City Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service for their help in the investigation.
DA Anne Donnelly said the defendants tried "to flood" the county's communities with "deadly narcotics and nearly 50 illegal firearms, some of which have been linked to crimes in other jurisdictions."
"Every illegal gun recovered had the potential to destroy innocent lives,” she said. “Since taking office, combating gun violence has been a top priority. I created the Firearms Suppression and Intelligence Unit to target those responsible for bringing illegal guns into our communities."
"Thanks to this outstanding joint investigation, these guns and drugs will never reach the hands of criminals who try to terrorize our neighborhoods," she said. "For five years, we have made clear that gun traffickers in Nassau County will face the consequences, and we are not slowing down.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman said that if anyone thinks they are going to bring guns and drugs into the county, "they better think again."
Police Commissioner said that it was with "the full support" of Blakeman that the department's detectives "went after these criminals and now they will have to answer for their crimes."
"Nassau County will remain the safest county in America, thanks to the hard work of the men and women in the Nassau County Police Department," he said. "We value our partners who worked with us to hold these criminals accountable."
ATF New York Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo noted "the investigation demonstrates the strength" of the agency's partnerships and "shared commitment to protecting the public."
"I want to commend the brave undercover personnel and the dedicated men and women from our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who worked tirelessly to dismantle this firearms-trafficking operation," he said. "By disrupting the illegal sale of more than 40 firearms, we are preventing dangerous weapons from reaching those who would use them to commit violent crimes."
"ATF remains laser-focused on identifying firearms traffickers, dismantling illegal trafficking networks, and protecting our communities by stopping gun violence before it occurs," he added.
He commended the ATF Joint Firearms Task Force Long Island, ATF-New York Police Department Joint Firearms Task Force, DEA, DA, and police department.
DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam said that the arrests of the six, and the seizure of 47 firearms, cocaine, and heroin, "serves as a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officials face while targeting those who fuel drug-related violence in our communities."
“Every firearm recovered represents one less weapon that can be used to intimidate, injure, or kill," Islam said. "The DEA and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to targeting violent criminals that profit from violence and drug trafficking, and protecting the communities of Long Island.”
Blakeman described the takedown as being of "historic proportions that will not only make Nassau County safer, but the whole region."
"This is a combination of using technology and good old-fashioned police work to solve these crimes that are being committed on a daily basis here in our region," he added.
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