NYPD officer accused of stealing, selling guns

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A New York City police officer is facing serious charges of stealing guns from a police precinct in order to sell them on the black market.

Nicholas Mina, 31, allegedly stole police-issued firearms from his colleagues' lockers in the 9th Precinct Station House and selling them on the underground market.

Mina is charged with conspiracy, criminal sale and possession of a firearm, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal sale of a controlled substance.

The indictment also charges five other defendants for conspiring with Mina. Ivan Chavez, 24, Marcos Echeverria, 22, Meryl Lebowitz, 64, Jennifer Sultan, 38, and a fifth defendant who remains at large are each charged with conspiracy and related crimes.

"Guns, drugs, and corruption are a dangerous combination," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. "This defendant endangered the very public he took an oath to protect, at a time when gun violence is destroying lives every day."

Mina has served as a member of the New York City Police Department for more than three years. He is accused of stealing and selling on the underground market police-issued firearms over the past six months.

Each sale was monitored by undercover members of the NYPD's Firearms Investigation Unit. The NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau also played a key role in this case, working with the District Attorney's Office to investigate missing firearms and other equipment from the 9th Precinct Station House.

There have been 80 shooting incidents involving illegal guns this year in Manhattan with 96 victims.

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