HAUPPAUGE - Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY 1st) announced the arrests of five men for the illegal sale of handguns following an eight-month investigation by the district attorney’s office.

Bishop secured a $245,000 federal grant to fund the enforcement efforts of the Gun Suppression Team and the Special Investigations Bureau Gang Unit responsible for the arrests of Darren Scales of Mastic and four other suspects.

Between June, 2009 and January of 2010 undercover detectives purchased a total of 15 guns from Scales, 24, and his associates Rondell Holland, 22, Arnold Garrison, 22, Raymond Rivera, 22, and Terrance Shorter, 18, all of Bellport.  “This investigation began last summer and grew out of our investigation of Mr. Scales’s tire and rim theft ring,” DA Spota said.  “From June through January, Scales arranged several “meets” to sell illegal weapons for cash.”

“I was pleased to be able to secure this funding to support the District Attorney’s tireless efforts to keep our neighborhoods and our children safe,” said Bishop. “Every gun we take off the streets potentially saves a life.”

District Attorney Spota said two of the guns that were sold to undercover detectives were used in crimes.   “We are in the process of receiving tracing reports on all of the guns but we know that one came from a former federally licensed dealer who is no longer in business and another from a federal firearms licensee who failed to maintain records we need to determine who bought the gun.”