A Long Island man was arrested after allegedly trafficking guns on a street — sometimes near children and just steps away from a police station — in broad daylight, and police said he was packing heat inside diaper boxes.
Nassau County prosecutors displayed the 10 seized weapons on Wednesday, each of which they said was sold by Long Beach resident James Edwards. The sales took place in front of his apartment in a public housing community, according to prosecutors.
Neighbors told us many kids also live in the development, which is only about a block from the Long Beach police department and city hall.
But none of that slowed the gun sales, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
“Edwards would package up the weapons in duffle bags and even diaper boxes and sold them in the open in broad daylight in front of his home,” she said. “To me that was a brazen act and a slap to the Long Beach police department and I don’t want to put up with that.”
Prosecutors used diagrams to link a recovered ghost gun and handgun to six separate shootings in Long Beach, Westbury and Bayside during 2021 and 2022. Four people were injured in those shootings connected to illegal weapons.
DA Donnelly said gun sales were even made the same day in June 2023 that a teen was shot in an unrelated incident following a beach party in Long Beach.
An NYPD intelligence division tip led to an 11-month investigation, and ultimately to the seizure of the eight handguns and two assault weapons.
Edwards’ attorney told NBC New York that his client has never been in trouble with the law, and that they would continue to fight the charges against him in court.
“This is a significant amount of firearms seized from the streets of Long Beach,” said acting Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma, cheering the gun seizure and saying it makes the city safey.
Other city officials later declined to comment on what’s now being done to protect public housing residents — a concern for those who live in the area.
“Anger, discomfort that that’s what’s happening in my neighborhood,” said Karl Williams, a father of four. “I worry about my kids. That’s my main focus.”
After his arrest, Edwards was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail. He faces up to 25 years if convicted.
