19 People Face Gun Trafficking, Other Charges In Brooklyn

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A gun trafficking arrest exposed a criminal organization involved in bank fraud, according to prosecutors.

Police said it started with the arrest of 27-year-old Colin Toney and two associates, who allegedly sold 40 guns, which had been purchased in his home state of South Carolina, to undercover investigators in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The investigation also led to more a dozen alleged gang members who are now charged with a scheme to steal $60,000 from bank accounts, CBS2 reported.

"At the heart of this long-term investigation is the trafficking of illegal firearms from South Carolina to New York City," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "These guns would be on our streets if not for the hard work of the NYPD detectives and prosecutors in Brooklyn."

"This case is about precision policing -- it's about targeting the guns, targeting the violence and targeting those who make weapons available on our streets," O'Neill added.

A total of 19 people face various gun trafficking, bank larceny and weapons charges.

"These indictments are a testament of our resolve to continue going after firearm traffickers, who endanger the safety of our communities for profit, and gang members, who often fund their crimes through larceny and fraud," Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. "Gun runners and those who aid them should be on notice that they are not safe from prosecution just because they live out of state – we will arrest them and bring them to Brooklyn to face justice."