Harlem Gun Bust: DA Indicts Man For Selling Firearms To Undercover Cop

HARLEM, NY – A Harlem man has been indicted on four felony weapons charges after he sold illegal firearms – including an assault weapon – to an undercover NYPD officer over about six months this year, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

Joseph Moore, 48, sold eight firearms worth more than $8,000 on the street in front of his West 135th Street and Broadway apartment between April and October, prosecutors say. Moore’s transactions included a loaded firearm and an assault weapon sold for $2,700 in April, two defaced guns sold for $2,000 in May, and four firearms sold for $3,700 in October, according to court documents.

A court-authorized search of his home uncovered eight additional guns, six of which were loaded and two of which were assault weapons – an Intratec 9mm lugar caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Palmetto State Armory 300 blackout caliber semi-automatic assault rifle – along with a 3D printer reportedly capable of modifying firearms. A disassembled wooden rifle and clothing matching what Moore wore during the alleged sales were also recovered during the search.

Moore was arraigned on multiple felony charges on Tuesday, including first-degree criminal sale of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, he could face decades in prison.

“These illegal firearms presented a significant risk to Manhattanites, and I commend the NYPD’s undercover officer for preventing them from reaching the streets,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“Our dedicated officers have successfully removed more than 5,850 illegal guns from the streets of New York City this year," said newly-appointed NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This case highlights the ongoing proliferation of illegal firearms in many neighborhoods that still need our assistance, as well as the daily efforts of the NYPD to prevent these weapons from falling into the hands of criminals."

Just last week in an unrelated incident, an NYPD detective and 13-year veteran of the department, Anthony Sciortino, 35, was arrested and charged with a handful of felonies and misdemeanors connected to the illegal manufacture of so-called ghost guns – untraceable firearms that are put together from component parts.