Pachon, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela was accused by prosecutors of selling at least nine different loaded guns over the course of several months in a 31-count indictment with his two alleged co-conspirators and countrymen.
“The defendant has access to a seemingly endless supply of loaded guns,” Assistant District Attorney Yuval Simchi-Levi said according to The New York Post. “This defendant sold the guns while out on a bench warrant.”
Leeroy Johnson of ViralNewsNYC reported in a post to X that the weapons trafficked into the city by the trio included semiautomatic weapons, one of whic was equipped with a "sear switch" to turn it automatic with several sold with high-capacity feeding devices. The charges against them include Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon among others.
The arrest of the three Tren de Aragua members was reportedly connected with the rash of ‘scooter robberies,’ previously reported by Law Enforcement Today, that has seen brazen attacks on NYPD officers and the emergence of what NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell called “a migrant robbery pattern,” in August.🚨Bust in Uptown Manhattan: Gun Trafficking Crew Linked to Tren de Aragua Migrant Gang and Scooter Robbery Crews
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) January 16, 2025
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced the indictment of Stefano Pachon, 21, Darwin Figuera, 34, and… pic.twitter.com/1T0cnDuGHy
Johnson wrote, “I've been tracking the Tren de Aragua gang since they first arrived in New York City, and I was the first to expose their presence and activities. These are dangerous individuals who have been linked to gun trafficking, violent crimes, and even human trafficking. Over time, I’ve broken multiple stories connecting them to these serious offenses, bringing attention to the growing threat they pose to public safety.”
As reported by the Post, the indictment of Pachon, Figuera, and Serrano emerged from an investigation into Victor Parra, 30, who was identified as the leader of an interstate moped-mounted gang of illegal immigrants who fled from authorities for three months before being arrested by NYPD in May. Parra pleaded guilty to grand larceny last week according to the outlet citing court records.
Evidence against Parra reportedly led to Pachon’s alleged gun-running operation prosecutors told the court.
Embattled Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement following the arraignment Wednesday saying, “Selling illegal weapons in Manhattan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The scourge of gun violence takes a devastating toll on our communities, and I have met with far too many heartbroken families who have lost a loved one because of illegal firearms.”
He added, “While gun violence continues to trend downward in Manhattan, there is a lot more work to do, and we will continue to partner with the NYPD to hold people accountable who commit this type of dangerous conduct.”
Although the attorney for Pachon Michael Fineman attempted to couch bail considerations in the narrative of his client being an asylum seeker, Manhattan Judge Althea Drysdale dismissed the notion out of hand telling Fineman “Most respectfully, I don’t know if that should be part of your application. Just because all [the accused] hail from Venezuela doesn’t mean you get to be an asylum seeker.”
Given Pachon’s “arrest-rich rap sheet,” which allegedly includes shoplifting from a Queens Sephora location, Drysdale ordered he be held without bail. His alleged co-conspirators were held on $50,000 cash bail and $75,000 bail respectively.
