Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica L. Tisch and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel announced the arraignment of Teddy Gaston “JD Yikes” and Jezerel Huston on a 194-count grand jury indictment charging them with possession and sale of illegal firearms and narcotics. A six-month joint investigation with the NYPD and HSI revealed that the duo allegedly worked in concert to purchase firearms in Georgia and transport the weapons to be sold in Southeast Queens. The investigation included undercover buys of more than 70 firearms, ammunition and drugs from the defendants, with most of the transactions taking place inside a McDonald’s parking lot in Rosedale.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, these defendants peddled weapons and narcotics – running firearms, assault rifles and at least one ghost gun up from the South to be sold in our borough. We are determined to dismantle the Iron Pipeline that places countless lives at risk, and we will prosecute any gun traffickers who take advantage of lax gun laws in other states to bring dangerous guns into Queens County. Over the course of six months, members of my Major Narcotics Unit worked in close collaboration with the NYPD Detectives’ JFK Task Force Unit and HSI to bring these defendants to justice. I extend my gratitude to the brave undercover officer who placed himself in harm’s way to help build this case.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said: “These defendants thought they could sell dozens of firearms, fentanyl, and cocaine in our city, but they were wrong because we’ve made it clear: the culture of ‘anything goes’ is over in the five boroughs. No one fights gun and narcotic trafficking better than the NYPD, so I want to thank our brave officers and detectives, HSI, and the Queens DA’s Office for their excellent work on this case. Now, we need to work together with all our partners to shut down the Iron Pipeline down once and for all.”

HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel: “As alleged, these defendants masterminded a gun and drug trafficking network that funneled firearms, fentanyl and other narcotics into our neighborhoods and in turn, created a supply line that fueled violence and harmful addiction. Each illegal gun recovered is a trigger pull that never happens; each pill seized is a potential tragedy averted. I thank HSI New York’s special agents, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department, and our vital federal, state and local partners who continue to work hand-in-hand to ensure our communities remain safe and traffickers never win.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “Teddy Gaston and Jezerel Huston allegedly worked hand-in-hand to create this dangerous interstate pipeline and flooded our streets with more than 75 guns, ammunition, and deadly drugs. These guns could have caused significant harm in our communities, but because of the incredible work that our detectives do every day, they will no longer pose a risk to anyone. This is the NYPD’s work in action — removing more than 3,900 guns from our streets this year alone and bringing shootings down to record-lows. I want to thank our NYPD investigators, and partners at HSI and the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their commitment to stopping gun traffickers and making New York City safer.”

Teddy Gaston aka “JD Yikes,” 39, of Linden Boulevard in Jamaica, and Jezerel Huston, 41, of Newport Road in Macon, Georgia, were arraigned Tuesday before Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino on a 194-count grand jury indictment charging them with criminal sale of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal sale of a ghost gun, unlawful possession of pistol ammunition, criminal sale of a controlled substance, conspiracy and other crimes.

Justice Cimino remanded the defendants and ordered them to return to court on October 6. They both face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

DA Katz said that, according to the indictment and the investigation, members of the Queens District Attorney’s office, the NYPD, and HSI began a firearm trafficking investigation involving the defendants around March 2025.

Huston would allegedly procure the firearms in Georgia, transport them to New York and provide them to Gaston, who would then sell the weapons in Queens.

An undercover officer conducted eight controlled buys with the defendants between April 7 and August 29. The transactions resulted in the seizure of:

• 59 firearms, including seven assault weapons and one ghost gun
• 98 fentanyl pills
• Approximately 100 grams of cocaine
• Multiple rounds of ammunition

Most of the firearms contained high-capacity magazines and some of the weapons were defaced. Many of the purchases took place at a McDonald’s parking lot on Merrick Boulevard and 244^th Street in Rosedale.

On one occasion, Gaston allegedly met the undercover officer at the McDonald’s parking lot and told him that the guns are “around the corner.” They both drove to 135^th Street in Rosedale. Once there, Gaston gave the officer his car keys as collateral and the undercover gave Gaston $4,300 for the sale. The defendant walked away and returned a short time later with a knapsack that he gave to the officer. The knapsack contained six handguns, one of which was defaced and five of which contained high-capacity magazines.

On another occasion, Gaston and Huston were observed on video surveillance footage with a red suitcase on wheels a short distance away from the McDonald’s restaurant. The defendants could be seen placing the suitcase in the trunk of Gaston’s vehicle and driving to the McDonald’s parking lot to meet the undercover. Once they met the undercover, Gaston allegedly placed the suitcase into the officer’s vehicle, entered the front passenger seat and handed the officer a bag with 98 fentanyl pills in exchange for $9,400. The suitcase contained eight firearms including one assault rifle and one ghost gun with a switch capable of turning the weapon into a machine gun.

On September 9, Gaston and Huston were arrested at the intersection of 241^st Street and Merrick Boulevard by members of the NYPD, HSI and Suffolk County Police while on the way to a pre-arranged gun sale transaction. A total of 18 additional firearms, including five assault weapons, were seized during the arrest.

The investigation was conducted by members of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau along with Detective Novonil Chowdhury, Sergeant Daniel Slevin, Lieutenant Mark Jablonski and Captain Matthew Gorman of the NYPD JFK Task Force and special agents with the Homeland Security Investigations JFK field office.

The Suffolk County Police Department provided crucial assistance.

Assistant District Attorney Candice Smith of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Kieran Linehan, Section Chief of the Major Narcotics Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mary Lowenburg, Bureau Chief, Catherine Kane, Senior Deputy Chief, Jonathan Scharf, Deputy Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Investigations Gerard Brave.