Six goons were arrested and charged in one of the largest gun and drug trafficking busts in Nassau County’s history, according to the local district attorney’s office.
The multi-agency, 14-month investigation recovered 47 illegal handguns and more than one kilogram of cocaine and heroin that the dealers peddled on Long Island and Queens.
The massive dragnet also pulled in assistance from the ATF, DEA, NYPD, Suffolk County Police, and the US Secret Service.
“Thanks to this outstanding joint investigation, these guns and drugs will never reach the hands of criminals who try to terrorize our neighborhoods,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
“For five years, we have made clear that gun traffickers in Nassau County will face the consequences, and we are not slowing down.”
“This was a takedown of historic proportions,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, calling the bust a mix of “technology and good old-fashioned police work.”
Robert Petgrave, 30, Andrew Petgrave, 36, Jamari Jamaal Purrier, 34, Raeem Smith, 23, Clayton Solomon, 48 and Shahede Folkes, 25, allegedly sourced the firearms from out of state — Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia — and trafficked them into Valley Stream, Hempstead and Queens.
Undercover investigators successfully bought handguns eight times and drugs 13 times while investigating the syndicate, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Robert and Andrew Petgrave were specifically targeted and allegedly obtained the illegal firearms from Smith and other sources before selling them to the undercover officers.
Folkes and Solomon were reportedly present at the time of some of the illegal gun transactions.
Purrier and Andrew Petgrave allegedly sold heroin and cocaine to undercover officers in 13 separate transactions.
The investigation began in April 2025.
All of the defendants were arrested Thursday by the Nassau County Police Department’s Gang Investigation Squad and arraigned on Friday.
All six men pleaded not guilty.
Robert Petgrave, Andrew Petgrave, and Purrier were slapped with a staggering $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, and ordered to surrender their passports.
Solomon’s bail was set at $250,000 cash.
Smith was remanded to jail without bail, and Folkes was cut loose to pretrial services with electronic monitoring
Robert Petgrave, Smith, and Solomon each face up to 25 years behind bars for first-degree weapon sales.
Andrew Petgrave and Purrier face up to 20 years on top-level drug felonies, while Folkes faces up to four years for conspiracy.
The defendants are all due back in court on July 21.
