New York City police officers were among 12 men charged Tuesday by federal prosecutors in an alleged scheme to transport M-16 rifles and handguns with defaced serial numbers across a state line as part of a $1 million conspiracy.
The accused, who included eight active-duty and retired police officers, also sought to transport stolen cigarettes and slot machines, according to a complaint unsealed in federal court in Manhattan. Five defendants are employed by the NYPD, the government said. Conversations recorded by an FBI informant revealed the conspiracy, according to the filing.
New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a news conference that the police officers were arrested Tuesday morning and “immediately suspended.” He said the guns involved in the scheme had been provided by the authorities and made inoperable.
Bloomberg News
