A 34-year-old newly promoted New York detective, Kyren Braunskill, has been arrested and charged with supplying guns to the Long Island 48 Gang. He is part of an 18-person indictment on similar charges and was taken into custody in Mount Vernon on Thursday morning.
According to prosecutors, the guns were used in both fatal and non-fatal shootings. Braunskill had been hired by the Mount Vernon Police Department a week before his arrest. The charges against him include selling a 9mm Ruger pistol to a high-ranking member of the 48 Gang and planning to sell more guns to other gang members in 2021 and 2022.
According to prosecutors, Braunskill is alleged to have planned to buy guns with an indicted individual named Nickomas Allen and a member of another syndicate in March 2021. In 2022, Braunskill allegedly offered to sell a number of firearms to a senior 48 Gang member named Jayvonte Nash. His last offer came only three days before he was hired by the department.
View this post on Instagram
The Mount Vernon Police Department offered comment on the incident, saying, “A pre-employment background investigation was conducted in accordance with department procedures, and no findings were returned. Based on the information available at that time, the decision was made to proceed with his employment. In light of these developments, the Mount Vernon Police Department will review its hiring and vetting practices to ensure they meet the highest standards.”
For the alleged gun deals, Braunskill has been charged with fourth-degree conspiracy. According to Lohud, he also faces charges of third-degree attempted grand larceny and third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument after being caught with a fraudulent check on December 15, 2022.
View this post on Instagram
Before being hired by Mount Vernon, Braunskill was on the state decertification list for law enforcement officers. He was terminated in October 2020 while serving as a probationary corrections officer, according to records from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
Braunskill has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been released under supervision with GPS monitoring. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 15. The case raises questions about vetting processes within police departments and the effectiveness of background checks.
