A former Bronx resident attending college in Tennessee has been arrested and charged with over 300 gun-related crimes. The police say the man, Shakor Rodriguez, 23, sold 73 of the guns to an undercover police officer in New York.
As reported by the Bronx District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, Rodriguez was enrolled at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he is accused of buying guns, ammunition, and magazines to resell in his home state.
The police are continuing to investigate the case to determine how and where he acquired the guns. He is also facing charges of selling “high-capacity” magazines which are restricted in New York.
“According to the investigation by the NYPD Firearms Investigations Unit and the Bronx District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, dubbed ‘Operation Overnight Express,’ between July 17, 2020 and December 22, 2021, in the Bronx and Manhattan, Shakor Rodriguez, also known as ‘Sha,’ allegedly sold an undercover officer 73 firearms, of which 59 were loaded, as well as over 40 high capacity magazines, including multiple drum magazines. The undercover paid typically between $1,000 and $1,500 per gun.”
“The defendant allegedly brought these semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines up from the south, sometimes transporting them in a duffle bag by bus,” said District Attorney Clark. “Dozens of the firearms were loaded and four are considered assault weapons.”
“The NYPD worked diligently to intercept these deadly weapons before they hit our streets,” he added. “Bronxites are dying from gunfire and we cannot tolerate one more illegal gun in our community.”
“Stopping traffickers who flood our streets with illegal guns is mission critical in our work to smash the Iron Pipeline,” said New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “The NYPD’s officers, working with their prosecutorial partners in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, are the first line of defense in protecting our residents, our families, and our children from the scourge of gun violence and I commend their work in this important case.”
Rodriguez is charged in two indictments totaling 304 counts, including criminal sale of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.