Riverhead man involved in gun-trafficking ring facing felony weapons charges: DA

A Riverhead man was one of nine people charged yesterday in connection with an illegal gun-trafficking operation in Suffolk County.

Jaason Hartmann, 21, was charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, according to Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini. Hartmann was arraigned Tuesday in Riverhead Town Justice Court and bail was set at $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond.

The operation was led by Yasmine White, 25, of Mastic Beach, who, along with her father, brother and other associates, facilitated the illegal sale of firearms in Suffolk, according to prosecutors.

The investigation also resulted in the arrest of Yasmine White’s brother, Timothy White Jr., 22, of Bellport, who was charged with Murder in the Second Degree in the death of a Queens man in North Bellport on June 17.

The nine defendants are alleged to have been involved in 63 illegal gun sales on 52 different dates, according to the district attorney, who called the ring a “large gun-trafficking operation” that is “directly linked to gun crime on the streets of Suffolk County.”

The investigation resulted in the seizure of 56 weapons, including 46 handguns, 2 assault weapons and one fully-automatic 9 millimeter Norinco rifle, also known as an Uzi.

Sini, joined by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local law enforcement officials announced charges against the nine defendants at a press conference yesterday in Hauppauge.

Yasmine White was charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. If convicted, she faces a maximum determinate sentence on the top count of five to 25 years in prison. She was arraigned yesterday in front of Suffolk County Court Justice Gaetan B. Lozito. Bail was set at $300,000 cash or $750,000 bond.

White’s father, Timothy White Sr., 46, of Mastic Beach, was involved in at least four illegal firearm sales, according to prosecutors. He is charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Firearm in the Third Degree. White Sr. was arraigned yesterday and bail was set at $150,000 cash or $350,000 bond.

White Jr. was involved in at least 11 illegal firearm sales, Sini said. He is charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree.

White Jr. was arraigned yesterday on both sets of charges, the district attorney said. Bail was set at $350,000 cash or $700,000 bond on the firearms charges. He was remanded without bail on the murder charge.

White Sr. and White Jr. are both reputed members of the Bloods street gang, according to police.

Montaigne Henderson, 25, of East Quogue, was charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Henderson was arraigned Tuesday in Riverhead Town Justice Court and bail was set at $75,000 cash or $200,000 bond.

Hector Rodriguez, 44, of Farmingville, was charged with Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Rodriguez was arraigned yesterday and bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

Additional charges in connection with alleged gun-trafficking operation will be brought against three defendants who are already in custody on unrelated charges. The defendants are Trayrone Booker, 24, of Shirley; Justin Braunskill, 31, of Mastic Beach; and Daquan Garrison, 27, of Bellport.

Through firearms tracing by the ATF, the weapons recovered were traced to locations of origin in 15 states, including New York.

“Most of those states are along the so-called ‘iron pipeline,’ including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania,” Sini said.

Nine of the weapons recovered were defaced to remove their serial numbers and make them untraceable.

Six of the weapons recovered had been reported stolen and four of the guns were determined to have been used in shootings that occurred in Suffolk County.

“This is critical: The illegal sale of guns is directly related to gun crimes,” Sini said. “By cracking down on these illegal sales and taking these weapons off our streets, we are effectively preventing gun violence.”

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.