Suffolk DA: Illegal Gun Ring Ran Through Long Island Hotels

A couple from Long Island and a man from Georgia have been arrested following what Suffolk law enforcement officials said was a gun-smuggling operation that ran through a gas station and hotels, including the Holiday Inn Express at Stony Brook, according to a report published Monday in Newsday.

Police arrested Shawdale Frederick, 32, his girlfriend Janet Lewis, 33, both from Middle Island, and Joshua Galbert, 31, of Marietta, Ga. at the Holiday Inn on Thursday. The trio was arraigned Monday on a 62-count indictment, including counts of first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a violent felony. They were jailed on bail of $1 million, $850,000, and $800,000, respectively.

According to Newsday, Suffolk district attorney Thomas Spota said the trio was very smart about their actions, using rental cars and changing cell phones at least twice per month in order to avoid being caught. Still, Spota said, the DA’s Gun Suppression Team was able to infiltrate their operation and purchase 53 handguns, five rifles, two bulletproof vests and a silencer in 11 separate transactions.

Danean Marie Lane, general manager of the Holiday Inn Express at Stony Brook, said in an email to Patch: “We are not commenting on an active investigation, but we are working with law enforcement.”

Click here to read the full report from Newsday (subscription required).