A Westchester County, New York, detective is facing a barrage of legal troubles after prosecutors accused him of funneling illegal firearms to a violent street gang.
The guns he allegedly sold have been tied to murders, robberies, and shootings across Suffolk County.
Kyren Braunskill, a 34-year-old Mount Vernon police detective, was arrested on March 26, 2026 and named as one of 18 defendants in a 57-count indictment targeting alleged members of the 48 Gang.
From The New York Post:
A newly promoted Westchester detective with a shocking past was busted for allegedly funneling guns to notorious Long Island gangbangers tied to a string of murders and armed robberies.
Kyren Braunskill, 34, was hauled into custody in Mount Vernon Thursday morning after being named in an 18-person indictment that charged him with peddling weapons to alleged members and associates of the “48 Gang” in Riverhead, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The guns were used in both fatal and non-fatal shootings, prosecutors said.
The cop, who joined the Mount Vernon Police Department in 2022, is also accused of plotting gun buys with indicted thug Nickomas Allen and a member of another syndicate in March 2021. The following year he repeatedly offered to sell multiple firearms to senior “48 Gang” operative Jayvonte Nash, court papers said.
Braunskill’s last offer to Nash came on Dec. 25, 2022 – three days before he was hired by Mount Vernon police and just over a week before he attended the Westchester Police Academy, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors said the vicious Suffolk criminal organization – of which 17 members are also charged in the indictment – is linked to two murders, eight armed robberies, five shootings and the possession of 13 illegal firearms.
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A newly promoted Westchester detective was arrested for allegedly funneling guns to notorious Long Island gangbangers tied to a string of murders and armed robberies.
— Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) March 27, 2026
Kyren Braunskill, 34, was hauled into custody in Mount Vernon Thursday morning, after being named in an… pic.twitter.com/nWj4Z4Py05
What makes this case even more noteworthy is the fact that Braunskill was sworn in as a detective just one week before his arrest.
Braunskill’s alleged activities began while he was still working as an NYPD 911 operator. Prosecutors allege he sold guns to several people, including a high-ranking gang member in Riverhead in 2021 and 2022.
The former detective allegedly went beyond gunrunning. He is also accused of asking for assistance to commit a shooting in Southampton in 2022, possessing a forged check, and attempted grand larceny. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney noted that “the alleged conduct in the indictment precedes his appointment as an officer,” ABC7 New York reported.
In the broader gang case, the charges against those involved include “eight armed robberies, seven shootings, including two murders, and the possession of 13 illegal weapons,” Tierney explained.
Mount Vermon Detective Kyren Braunskill arrested for Selling Guns to L.I Gang Members pic.twitter.com/BuAdRrhNAO
— BigmanshaneNews (@BIGMANSHANE1) March 27, 2026
The murder charges are related to the deaths of 47-year-old James Ayers in 2023 and 18-year-old Marcel Arrington in 2021. They also include a string of armed robberies at convenience stores. “We not only charge the shooters, but we charge those who order the violence, those who fund the violence, those who acquire the weapons,” Tierney said.
Braunskill pleaded not guilty and is on supervised release with GPS monitoring.
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