Manhattan Man Sentenced To 120 Months In Prison For Role As Leader Of Gun Trafficking Conspiracy

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES THOMAS, a/k/a “Spazz,” was sentenced to 120 months in prison for his leadership of a gun trafficking conspiracy that was responsible for the illegal purchase and trafficking of approximately 89 firearms from at least in or around August 2020 up to and including April 2021.  THOMAS pled guilty to one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in gun trafficking on May 20, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein, who imposed today’s sentence. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “James Thomas participated in the trafficking of dozens of guns to New York, and some of the guns that he trafficked can directly be tied to violent crimes.  Thomas exacerbated the scourge of gun crime in New York, and for that he is rightly facing a lengthy prison sentence.”

According to public filings and statements made in court:

From at least in or around August 2020 up to and including April 2021, the defendants used Georgia-resident DUVAUGHN WILSON, a/k/a “Dupree,” as a straw purchaser to buy at least 87 firearms from at least six federal firearms licensees (“FFLs”) in Georgia.  Over the course of the scheme, during which WILSON completed approximately 30 different transactions, WILSON attested that he was the true purchaser of the firearms, when in fact, he was buying the guns on behalf of the defendants, who in turn illegally resold many of the guns to others.

Prior to purchases, the defendants coordinated with WILSON to place orders for specific firearms and pay for the weapons using cash, mobile banking applications, and through wire payments.  When communicating about the firearms, the defendants used coded language, referring to the weapons as “tvs,” “knocks,” and “situations.”  In some instances, the defendants referred to the caliber or model of a firearm by referencing the jersey numbers of famous athletes.

After purchasing the weapons, WILSON transferred the firearms to defendants JAMES THOMAS, a/k/a “Spazz,” COURTNEY SCHLOSS, a/k/a “Bway” a/k/a “Balenci,” and others who sold some of the guns in Georgia and transported other firearms, primarily by bus, to New York for resale.  In many instances, the guns were transferred to members of the Brooklyn-based “Blixky Gang” — a group comprised primarily of aspiring rappers.  Some of these guns later appeared in music videos filmed by members of the Blixky Gang.  The videos, which include some of the defendants, show Blixky Gang members brandishing loaded firearms and displaying stacks of cash.

On some occasions, law enforcement successfully interdicted firearms being transported by the defendants before they reached New York.  For example, in November 2020, law enforcement in South Carolina stopped a bus in Wellford, South Carolina, from which they seized five firearms, four pistol magazines, a high capacity .40 caliber magazine, and a nine-millimeter drum magazine — all of which was being transported by the defendants in a single backpack.

Law enforcement seized other firearms purchased in Georgia by WILSON in New York City.  On at least two occasions, in the wake of violent crimes, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) seized firearms trafficked to New York as part of this scheme.  As alleged, in February 2021, the NYPD seized a gun that WILSON had bought after a fleeing suspect discharged it at responding officers in the Bronx.  In April 2021, following a shooting in the Bronx, the NYPD seized another pistol purchased by WILSON.

In addition to the prison term, THOMAS, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Eight of THOMAS’s co-defendants were previously sentenced in this case.  A chart containing the names and imposed sentences is set forth below.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) and NYPD, in particular, the Joint Firearms Task Force, which is composed of agents and officers of the ATF and the NYPD.  

Name	Sentence
COURTNEY SCHLOSS, a/k/a “Bway,” a/k/a “Balenci”	120 months in prison; three-year term of supervised release
DUVAUGHN WILSON, a/k/a “Dupree”	48 months in prison; three-year term of supervised release
KEN ALEXANDER, a/k/a “Ryu”	37 months in prison; two-year term of supervised release
ARGAM TAJ, a/k/a “Sour”	60 months in prison; two-year term of supervised release
SAMUEL TAJ, a/k/a “Sosa”	48 months in prison; three-year term of supervised release
CHRISTOPHER MACHADO, a/k/a “Chris Elite”	36 months in prison; two-year term of supervised release
ANTONIO EADDY, a/k/a “Storm”	24 months in prison; three-year term of supervised release
HARLIE RAMOS, a/k/a “White Girl”	18 months in prison; three-year term of supervised release

DEC ANNOUNCES FINALIZATION OF TWO POLICIES TO IMPLEMENT NEW YORK’S AMBITIOUS CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT

 

Measures will Guide Agency Permitting Decisions, Ensure Compliance with Climate Law

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the finalization of two policies that will help DEC continue to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The policies will help guide DEC’s permitting to ensure facilities and other regulated entities are complying with the Climate Act’s stringent requirements to reduce greenhouse gases.

“DEC takes our responsibility to reduce greenhouse gases and protect disadvantaged communities seriously and this includes applying the principles detailed in the Climate Act to permitting," Commissioner Seggos said. "I am confident that with these new policies in place, DEC’s permitting will remain a science-driven and public input-focused process that gives full and accurate consideration to climate justice and the climate impacts of proposed projects throughout the state.”

DEC is issuing as final Commissioner’s Policy 49 (CP-49), “Climate Change and DEC Action,” and Division of Air Resources Policy 21 (DAR-21), “CLCPA and Air Permit Applications.” CP-49 (https://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/56552.html) updates a policy DEC first issued in 2010 and provides general direction to DEC staff regarding the incorporation of climate change considerations into all agency activities, outlining procedures to ensure compliance with CLCPA Section 7(2) and other provisions of law. The DAR-21 policy (https://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2404.html) provides additional detail for analyses developed under Section 7(2) to support air pollution control permit applications.

Section 7(2) of the Climate Act requires New York State agencies to consider whether administrative decisions, such as permitting actions, are inconsistent with or interfere with the statewide greenhouse gas emission limits set by the law. If an agency’s decision is inconsistent with the statewide greenhouse gas emission limits under the CLCPA, a detailed justification is required. If a justification is available, the agency must identify alternatives or greenhouse gas mitigation measures. In December 2021, DEC released the two policies for public review and comment to help implement Section 7(2), and after the review of public comments, finalized the policies announced today. The policies reflect actions DEC staff have been taking since 2020 to ensure compliance with Section 7(2) of the CLCPA as part of permit application reviews.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

RIKERS ISLAND INMATE INDICTED FOR UNPROVOKED ATTACK ON NYC DOC OFFICER

 

Victim Sustained Fractured Eye Socket and Large Cut to His Head

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Rikers Island inmate has been indicted on Assault charges for the unprovoked attack on a New York City Department of Correction Officer that left the victim with serious injuries.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly punched a Correction Officer after a search in the cell found alleged marijuana there. The Officer sustained painful injuries, including a large cut to the back of his head and an orbital fracture. We will seek justice for the Officer, who experienced a physically and emotionally traumatic attack just doing his job.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Julius Allen, 22, a Rikers Island inmate, was arraigned today on Assault on a Peace Officer, Police Officer, Fireman or Emergency Medical Services Professional; two counts of second-degree Assault, third-degree Assault, Promoting Prison Contraband, and second-degree Obstructing Governmental Administration before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. Bail was continued at $150,000 cash/$300,000 bond/$300,000 partially secured bond and the defendant is due back in court on March 15, 2023.

 According to the investigation, on November 16, 2022, at approximately 12:52 p.m. inside the Robert N. Davoren Complex, the 47-year-old victim, who was on the Special Search Team, was in the defendant’s cell and found alleged marijuana inside a lotion bottle. Allen allegedly turned to the victim and punched him in the face, causing him to fall and lose consciousness. Officers who were present and part of the Special Search Team removed the defendant, and the victim was taken to a local hospital. The victim sustained broken bones surrounding his left eye socket and had to undergo surgery. He also sustained a laceration to the back of his head, which required 16 staples. He had substantial pain, bleeding and swelling to his face.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYC Department of Correction Captain Johanna Banks, NYC DOC Correction Intelligence Bureau Investigators Juan Rivera and Nathaniel Williamson, and Rikers Island Liaison Walter Holmes for their work in the investigation. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

New York State Economy Added 19,600 Private Sector Jobs in November 2022

 

The Unemployment Rate Held Constant at 4.3%

   According to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 19,600, or 0.2%, to 8,080,900 in November 2022. The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. also increased by 0.2% in November 2022.

    New York State's private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 281,000, or 3.6%, over the year in November 2022, which exceeded the 3.5% increase in the number of private sector jobs in the U.S.

    New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held constant at 4.3% in November 2022. At the same time, New York State's labor force (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 1,000. As a result, the labor force participation rate held constant at 60.5% in November 2022.

    The number of private sector jobs in New York State is based on a payroll survey of New York businesses conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more complete data become available the following month. The BLS calculates New York State’s unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) of approximately 3,100 households in the State.

Note: Seasonally adjusted data are used to provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month – for example, November 2021 versus November 2022.

Statewide Industry Employment

November 2022 – Seasonally Adjusted

• On a net basis, the total number of nonfarm jobs in the state increased by 21,800 over the month, while private sector jobs rose by 19,600 in November 2022.

• At the same time, the total number of nonfarm jobs in the nation increased by 263,000, while private sector jobs increased by 221,000.

NYS Nonfarm Job Growth Matched Nation's

Over-the-Month % Change in Total Nonfarm & Private Sector Jobs, October – November 2022  

Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs Increased in November 2022 Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs (in 1000s), January 1990 – November 2022 Statewide Unemployment November 2022 – Seasonally Adjusted In November 2022, the statewide unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. New York City’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.8%. Outside of New York City, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.3%. The number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased over the month by 300, from 413,600 in October to 413,300 in November 2022. NYS Unemployment Rate Unchanged Over the Month Labor Force Statistics,  November 2021, October – November 2022 The Labor Force and Number of Unemployed Decreased in November Total Labor Force & Number of Unemployed, January 2009 - November 2022 NYS and US Unemployment Rates Held Steady Unemployment Rate, NYS & US, January 2009 - November 2022 Unemployment Rate Held Steady in Both NYC and Balance of State Unemployment Rate, NYC & BOS, January 2009 - November 2022 Substate and Industry Employment  November 2022 – Not Seasonally Adjusted New York State Exceeded Nation in Job Growth Over-the-Year Change in Total Nonfarm & Private Sector Jobs, November 2021 – November 2022 Note: The sum of sub-state area job estimates will usually differ from the New York State total. This is because the State total is calculated separately from the sub-state areas and is estimated based on an independent sample. The Number of Leisure & Hospitality Jobs Increased by 9.0% Over the Year Over-the-Year Change in Jobs by Major Industry Sector, November 2021 – November 2022 *Educational and health services are in the private sector. Government includes public education and public health services. Note: The responsibility for the production of monthly estimates of state and metro area nonfarm employment by industry moved from the NYS Department of Labor’s Division of Research and Statistics to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), starting with the March 2011 estimates. More detailed information on the change is available on the BLS web site. Many economic data series have a seasonal pattern, which means they tend to occur at the same time each year (e.g., retail jobs usually increase in December). Seasonal adjustment is the process of removing seasonal effects from a data series. This is done to simplify the data so that they may be more easily interpreted and help to reveal true underlying trends. Seasonal adjustment permits comparisons of data from one month to data from any other month. In New York State, payroll jobs data by industry come from a monthly survey of 18,000 business establishments conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data are preliminary and subject to revision. Jobs data by industry do not include agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers or domestic workers in private households. Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s unemployment rate is based partly upon the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York each month. Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet This fact sheet conveys important technical information that will contribute to a better understanding of labor force data (“household survey”), including resident employment/unemployment rates, and jobs by industry data (“business survey”), which are presented in the New York State Department of Labor’s monthly press release. State Unemployment Rates Based on Regression Model Beginning with data for January 1996, unemployment rates for New York State and all other states (as well as New York City and the City of Los Angeles) have been estimated using time-series regression statistical models developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Advantage of Regression Model Use of a time-series regression model reduces the month-to-month variation in unemployment rates and resident employment by reducing variation caused by sampling errors and other components of statistical noise (irregularities). Benchmarking of Estimates Once each year, labor force estimates, such as civilian labor force and the unemployment rate, are revised to reflect updated input data including new Census Bureau populations controls, newly revised establishment jobs data and new state-level annual average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). As part of this procedure, all state figures are reviewed, revised as necessary and then re-estimated. This process is commonly referred to as “benchmarking.” Changes in Methodology Labor force estimates are now produced with an improved time-series regression model, which utilizes “real-time” benchmarking. “Real-time” benchmarking reduces end-of-year revisions, which also means that major economic events will be reflected in a more-timely manner in state labor force estimates. In addition, the new methodology includes an updated way of estimating for sub-state areas (e.g., counties, metro areas) the number of unemployed who are new entrants or re-entrants into the labor force. This change in methodology will result in lower unemployment rates in some areas and increased rates in others. Unemployed and UI Beneficiaries The estimate of the number of unemployed includes all persons who had no employment during the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month), were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Unemployment insurance (UI) beneficiaries include those who apply for and qualify for UI benefits. Consequently, the estimate of the number of unemployed and the number of UI beneficiaries do not necessarily move in tandem. Jobs Data Jobs data are obtained from a separate joint federal-state survey of business establishments. The survey, called the Current Employment Statistics of Establishments, samples establishments in New York State. It excludes self-employed workers, agricultural workers, unpaid family workers and domestic workers employed by private households. This data represents a count of jobs by place of work. Data for each month is revised the following month as more complete information becomes available.