18 Indicted in Suffolk County 48 Gang Takedown

Suffolk County prosecutors have indicted 18 alleged members and associates of a Riverhead-based street gang on charges spanning two murders, multiple shootings, armed robberies, and illegal firearms possession across a four-year stretch from 2021 through 2025.

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the 57-count indictment Friday, the result of a long-term investigation into the group known as the “48 Gang,” which authorities say operated primarily out of Riverhead. The probe drew in multiple agencies, including local police departments, the FBI, and U.S. Marshals.

The scope of the indictment is striking. Prosecutors allege the defendants collectively carried out two homicides, at least five additional shootings, eight armed robberies, and the illegal possession of 13 firearms. The gang took its name from locations tied to its members, including Oakland Drive, Doctors Path, and East Main Street. While some members had ties to larger criminal organizations, Tierney said their primary loyalty ran to the Riverhead-based group.

“This indictment is yet another example of my office’s steadfast commitment to eliminating gang violence in Suffolk County,” Tierney said at a Friday press conference. “Gangs and illegal weapons have no place in Suffolk County, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that any gang member, or anyone aiding gang members, operating in Suffolk County, will be brought to justice.”

Two of the most serious charges center on a 2021 killing in Mastic Beach. Justin Dicks, 24, and Jacob Moore, 24, both of Riverhead, are accused in the October 2021 murder of 18-year-old Marcel Arrington. Prosecutors allege the pair lured Arrington under the pretense of a marijuana sale before attempting to rob him. Dicks then allegedly shot and killed him. Arrington was 18 years old.

A separate homicide charge targets Nickomas Allen, 38, in connection with the January 2023 killing of James Ayers, 47. Ayers was shot following a dispute on East Main Street in Riverhead, according to authorities.

The indictment also includes a charge that has drawn particular attention. Kyren Braunskill, 34, a currently serving Mount Vernon police detective, is accused of conspiring to supply illegal firearms to gang members. Prosecutors were careful to note that the alleged conduct occurred before Braunskill joined law enforcement. He was appointed as a Mount Vernon police officer in December 2022, and prosecutors say his alleged involvement in acquiring weapons for the gang predates that appointment. The charge raises uncomfortable questions about how individuals with alleged prior gang ties move through background screening processes, though investigators have not addressed that publicly.

Beyond the two murders, the indictment covers a pattern of street-level violence and robbery. Gang members allegedly shared weapons to carry out shootings and stickups throughout the region. Among the specific incidents cited: two 7-Eleven robberies in 2023 and a deli robbery in Flanders in 2024 in which a store clerk was pistol-whipped. That kind of violence hits close to home for residents of communities where corner stores and convenience shops are everyday gathering spots.

Tierney framed the prosecution broadly, signaling that the charges are not limited to trigger-pullers. “We not only charge the shooters, but we charge those who order the violence, those who fund the violence, those who acquire the weapons, and those who attempt to cover up the violence,” he said.

For Riverhead, a town that has worked hard to build up its waterfront district and attract visitors, gang activity of this scale poses a direct threat to quality of life and community investment. Residents on streets like Oakland Drive and East Main Street have lived alongside this alleged criminal enterprise for years. The victims, including two men who lost their lives, were part of the same communities the gang claimed as its territory.

The case now moves to the courts. With 18 defendants, 57 counts, and charges reaching from Riverhead to Mastic Beach to Flanders and beyond, this prosecution will occupy Suffolk County’s judicial calendar for some time. Whether it delivers lasting change for the neighborhoods involved depends on what follows the indictments.