Stanley Elianor, a member of the Folk Nation Street gang, was arrested today in connection with an indictment returned on August 27, 2020 charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition while having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and indictment.
“Repeat offenders who possess firearms present an extreme danger to the community as this case tragically demonstrates with the senseless killing of Carey Gabay,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are doing everything in our power to take guns out of the hands of violent felons as a measure to prevent the senseless loss of life.” Mr. DuCharme expressed his grateful appreciation to the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance with the investigation.
“No one should have to fear standing in a crowd at a street festival, thinking their life could be taken by a gang member’s stray bullet. This brand of mayhem is often the work of convicted felons shooting guns they’re not legally allowed to possess. We are methodically going down the list of these repeat offenders, and, as today’s action demonstrates, we are committed to keeping them from terrorizing our besieged neighborhoods. But we can’t do it alone. We are stronger together, and we need help from the communities these felons are targeting. If you know something about any recent shooting, call us at 212-384-5000. Help us protect our city from the criminals who seem determined to destroy it,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“This kind of gun violence erodes the fabric of city life and I commend the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York for bringing these significant federal charges and ensuring, along with our NYPD detectives and law enforcement partners, that a measure of justice will be served,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.
As set forth in the indictment and detention memorandum, in the pre-dawn hours of September 7, 2015, Elianor was attending the J’ouvert cultural festival with other Folk Nation gang members and members of the Hood Starz, a group that was allied with Folk Nation, when they engaged in a shootout with members of the rival Crips street gang outside the Ebbets Field Houses in Crown Heights. Carey Gabay, an aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was struck in the head by a stray bullet and died on September 15, 2015. During the gun battle, Elianor allegedly possessed a .45 caliber Masterpiece Arms handgun which was recovered by the NYPD. The firearm has a large capacity magazine and was loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Prior to possessing this firearm, Elianor had been convicted of two counts of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in New York state court in October 2009.
If convicted, Elianor faces up to 10 years in prison.
