Attorney General James Announces Convictions and Sentencings of Members of New York City Gun and Drug Trafficking Ring

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the convictions and sentencings of Anthony Ortiz Vasquez, Hector Vasquez, and Kiara Rodriguez for their roles in a gun and drug trafficking network that sold assault weapons, ghost guns, and other firearms, in addition to cocaine in New York City. Ortiz Vasquez, Vasquez, and Rodriguez were the final three members of this ring to be sentenced. In total, 13 defendants were convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty beginning in February 2025. The Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) investigation led to the recovery of 74 firearms, including nine assault-style rifles, eight assault-style pistols, and four ghost guns, in addition to 500 grams of cocaine with a street value of $15,700 and over 2,100 rounds of ammunition.

“The success of this case is an important reminder that it will take all of us working together to end senseless gun violence in our communities,” said Attorney General James. “I thank my partners in law enforcement for their invaluable assistance in holding these traffickers accountable and removing dozens of dangerous and illegal guns and narcotics from our streets. My office will continue to do everything in its power to crack down on criminal operations that profit from violence and endanger our city.”

These sentences mark the conclusion of a 20-month prosecution, following a 10-month joint investigation led by the OAG’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and a task force (formerly Strike Force Group Z-13) comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York City Police Department (NYPD), New York State Police (NYSP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The joint investigation included physical and covert video surveillance, court-authorized wiretapping of cellular telephones, the analysis of electronic evidence, including cellphone communications, and other traditional investigative operations.

The investigation began in August 2023 with a focus on Ortiz Vasquez, who sold illegal firearms, illegal rapid-fire modification devices that transform semiautomatic weapons into automatic weapons, high-capacity magazines, and ammunition. Wiretap evidence revealed a coordinated network of individuals around Ortiz Vasquez working together to buy, store, transport, and sell these firearms and accessories. 

The investigation revealed that Ortiz Vasquez bought firearms from Nelphy Reyes-Peralta, Nestor Vasquez Vargas and his cousin Derek Vargas, Harry Laureano, and Jeffry Deschamps. Vasquez Vargas, who resides in Kissimmee, Florida, would mail illegal firearms – some of which he custom painted – to Ortiz Vasquez in Paterson, New Jersey. Ortiz Vasquez bought firearms from the other defendants at various locations in Paterson, often using codewords like “toys,” “sneakers,” or “panties” to refer to the guns when arranging purchases. Ortiz Vasquez and his sources also referred to ammunition as “food” and the illegal rapid-fire modification devices as “switches” when they communicated about sales. In addition to Ortiz Vasquez’s payments, Tiffany Diaz Fermin and brothers Carlos Torres and Juan Torres sent money transfers through Zelle and CashApp to pay Ortiz Vasquez’s sources.   

After buying the firearms, Iris Molina, Diaz Fermin, and Rodriguez stored firearms for Ortiz Vasquez at Molina, Diaz Fermin, and Ortiz Vasquez’s homes in Paterson. Ortiz Vasquez also enlisted his mother, Yadira Vasquez, to help move, hide, store, and pay for the firearms. 

The Torres brothers regularly assisted Ortiz Vasquez in driving the firearms, rapid fire modification devices, high-capacity magazines, and ammunition from Paterson, New Jersey to Washington Heights in New York City, where they were sold. The defendants consistently made their sales on the same street corner in Washington Heights. In addition, Deschamps, Laureano, Yadira Vasquez, and Rodriguez all transported firearms from New Jersey to Manhattan and were each present for at least one sale made by Ortiz Vasquez. The defendants used different methods to disguise the weapons and ammunition as they transported them, often wrapping guns in blankets and sheets or hiding them in reusable grocery bags. At least once, the defendants used a guitar case to hide an assault rifle while driving it to New York City.  

Ortiz Vasquez also sold 500 grams of cocaine in Washington Heights, which was consistently sourced from his brother, Hector Vasquez.

The following individuals have now been convicted and sentenced:

• Anthony Ortiz Vasquez, 26, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to concurrent sentences of 10 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on each of the Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance and Criminal Sale of a Firearm counts, and one to three years in prison on each of the Conspiracy counts.

   

• Nelphy Reyes-Peralta, 48, of Wayne, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to concurrent sentences of five years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on the Criminal Sale of a Firearm count, and one and one-third to four years in prison on each of the Conspiracy counts.

   

• Nestor Vasquez Vargas, 21, of Kissimmee, FL, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to one to three years in prison.

   

• Hector Vasquez, 38, of Passaic, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to concurrent sentences of three and a half years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on the Criminal Sale of a Firearm count, three years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on the Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance Count, and one to three years in prison on the Conspiracy count.

   

• Derek Vargas, 22, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to one and one-third to four years in prison.

   

• Jeffry Deschamps, 33, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to one to three years in prison.

   

• Carlos Torres, 23, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to concurrent sentences of eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on the Criminal Sale of a Firearm count, and one and one-third to four years in prison on each of the Conspiracy counts.

   

• Juan Torres, 22, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to concurrent sentences of five and a half years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision on the Criminal Sale of a Firearm count, and one and one-third to four years in prison on each of the Conspiracy counts.

   

• Harry Laureano, 33, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to 364 days in jail.

   

• Iris Molina, 41, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to three years of probation.

   

• Tiffany Diaz Fermin, 29, of Paterson, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to 364 days in jail.

   

• Yadira Vasquez, 43, of Hackensack, NJ, was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and sentenced to time served.

   

• Kiara Rodriguez, 24, of Hackensack, NJ, was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to six months in jail, followed by the balance of five years of probation.

“The sentencing and conviction of these 13 individuals, along with the seizure of 74 firearms and cocaine, reflect the strength of the partnerships the DEA shares with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts in targeting those who pose a threat to our communities,” said DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “The removal of 17 assault style weapons, ghost guns, thousands of ammunitions, and illicit drugs underscores the grave risk these individuals posed not only to the neighborhoods they targeted, but also the brave law enforcement officers who confront them. From every borough to every block, the DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our communities from the devastating impact of illicit drugs and gun violence.”

“By moving assault style weapons, ghost guns, rapid-fire conversion devices, and cocaine from out-of-state and through a single street corner in Washington Heights, these defendants turned our neighborhoods into an open-air market for lethal firepower and narcotics,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas. “They exposed unsuspecting residents to the risk of sudden gunfire and drug-fueled violence — all for a profit that can no longer protect them from the consequences of their recklessness. This outcome was only possible because of the seamless partnership between HSI New York, the Attorney General’s Office, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement allies, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder to keep our communities safer.”

“The defendants in this case were part of a brazen trafficking ring that funneled guns and drugs into our communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Over the course of this long-term investigation, the NYPD dismantled this criminal network, taking 74 deadly firearms — including assault-style rifles and untraceable ghost guns — along with 500 grams of cocaine and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition off our streets. I thank our NYPD investigators, law enforcement partners, the New York Attorney General’s Office, and all who worked to ensure that these criminals were held accountable.”

“Drug and weapon trafficking has long been a catalyst for violence and other criminal activities that plague our communities,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “The shut down and indictments resulting from this widespread trafficking ring exemplify the commitment law enforcement has in making our country a safer place. I thank the Attorney General’s Office for their partnership and our law enforcement colleagues for their dedicated police work that is succeeding in keeping dangerous drugs and weapons from infiltrating our neighborhoods.”

The Attorney General would also like to thank the joint task force members of NYPD, DEA, HSI, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and NYSP, the Passaic City (New Jersey) Police Department, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General – Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Weapons Trafficking Unit, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the New Jersey State Police Weapons Trafficking North Unit, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for their valuable assistance and participation in this investigation.

The investigation was led by NYPD Detective/Task Force Officer (TFO) Hector Rodriguez and HSI New York personnel of the joint NYPD-DEA Strike Force Group Z-13, under the supervision of NYPD Sergeant Ryan Boylan and Commanding Officer Gene Ryerson, NYPD Lieutenant Michael Pomerantz, NYPD Associate Chief of Operations Levon Holley, and under the overall supervision of NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. HSI New York is overseen by Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Pete Gizas. Dennis Acheson is the DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC). Christopher Roberts is the DEA Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the New York Region, and Frank A. Tarentino, III is the Assistant Chief of Operations.

For the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the investigation was led by Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) Detective Robert Geary, under the supervision of OCTF Supervising Detective Paul Grzegorski, Assistant Chief Ismael Hernandez, and Deputy Chief Andrew Boss, with special assistance from the detective specialists from the OAG Special Operations Unit, led by Deputy Chief Sean Donovan. The Attorney General’s Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

The case was prosecuted by former OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorneys General Brandi S. Kligman and Christopher Clark, under the supervision of Downstate OCTF Deputy Chief Lauren Abinanti with the assistance of OCTF Legal Support Analyst Alex DiGiacomo and former Legal Support Analyst Madeline Rosen. Nicole Keary is the Deputy Attorney General in Charge of OCTF. Both OCTF and the Investigations Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.