On Tuesday, prosecutors charged a 24-year-old man from Texas for unlawfully selling firearms and firearm parts while he was incarcerated in a Louisiana prison. Shockingly, it was revealed that he had been in contact with Payton Gendron, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, prior to Gendron’s racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022.
According to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the case involving Hayden Espinosa of Corpus Cristie, Texas, is a disturbing example of the intersection of guns and extremism. It is alleged that Espinosa sold firearms and gun parts to an undercover New York City police officer.
During a press conference where charges were being announced against Espinosa, Bragg expressed his extreme concern stating, “It is very, very disturbing.”
According to prosecutors, Espinosa has been charged with four felony counts which include transporting a firearm, machine gun, silencers, and a disguised gun. Additionally, he has been indicted for felony attempted criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree.
On Tuesday, it was uncertain whether Espinosa had hired a lawyer or not.
As per prosecutors, during their investigation into the Buffalo massacre that took place on May 14, 2022, at a Tops supermarket, they stumbled upon a Telegram channel that was allegedly operated by Espinosa from prison. The investigators found out that Espinosa was using this channel to sell firearms and components from prison, which included Glock handguns and devices known as “Glock switches” or “auto sears.” These devices were used to modify a semiautomatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon.
According to reports, Espinosa sold firearms and components using cellphones smuggled to him while he was in prison. He utilized a Telegram messaging app channel known as “3D Amendment,” which is considered by Bragg as a “hub of ethnically and racially motivated extremist ideology.”
Bringing together extremism and firearms poses an immense threat to the safety of New Yorkers, warns Bragg. He further reveals that the individuals associated with Espinosa’s Telegram channel were driven by the deplorable ideologies of Neo-Nazism and white supremacy.
According to Bragg, Espinosa’s Telegram channel had drawn in individuals, such as Gendron, who hoarded firearms and carried out acts of violence.
In May 2022, as part of their investigation into the Buffalo mass shooting, where 10 Black individuals were killed and three others were injured, the NYPD’s Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism (REME) squad came across Espinosa’s Telegram channel. It has not been confirmed whether Espinosa provided guns to Gendron.
Prosecutors stated on Tuesday that Espinosa and other members of the channel promoted the sale of illegal firearms and gun parts. These included items such as silencers, high-capacity magazines, Glock-style handguns, and auto sears. Several members purchased these illegal firearms and parts from Espinosa and even shared about their purchases in his channel.
According to the indictment, Espinosa reportedly sold illegal guns and firearm parts to undercover NYPD officers on three separate occasions between August 7, 2023, and November 13, 2023, while he was serving time at the Federal Correctional Complex Pollock, which is a high-security prison located in Grant Parish, Louisiana.
According to officials, Espinosa had been imprisoned for 33 months due to his involvement in the illegal sale and possession of Glock switches. He was released from federal prison on June 4th only to be immediately arrested by the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office. The arrest was made in response to the indictment by the New York State Supreme Court.
According to authorities, Espinosa sold a Glock-style handgun and a 3D-printed untraceable AR-style “ghost gun” to an undercover officer. Additionally, he is facing charges for selling two firearms silencers to the same officer and attempting to sell a Glock-19 handgun.
Ivan Arvelo, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, expressed concern about the potential bloodshed that could result from the wrong people getting their hands on guns, especially in the current climate of rampant gun violence across the United States.
Officials have revealed that Espinosa, who is currently serving time in prison, not only sold illegal firearms and components but also used his Telegram and YouTube channels to spread extremist ideologies such as white supremacy, neo-Nazism, and anti-government beliefs.
Commissioner of the NYPD, Edward Caban, commended the REME squad for their exceptional work. He emphasized the importance of their existence, stating that it highlights the seriousness with which the department and their law enforcement partners regard the danger posed by far-right extremists. Caban further added that the department remains committed to ensuring the safety of New Yorkers by relentlessly pursuing and dismantling gun trafficking networks that fuel hate.
The arraignment of Espinosa is set to take place in New York on June 24.