Federal authorities unsealed an indictment on April 29, charging a 51-year-old South Carolina man with running an interstate firearms trafficking operation that moved weapons from South Carolina into New York City. Daryl Rutherford faces multiple counts, including firearms trafficking and possession of guns after a prior felony conviction.
Prosecutors say Rutherford transported and sold approximately 14 firearms and ammunition across four separate deals between December 2025 and February 2026. The weapons included semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic rifles with one equipped with a high-capacity drum magazine, and a 12-gauge shotgun. He sold them to an undercover law enforcement agent whom he believed was a prohibited person planning to resell the guns illegally.
Rutherford was arrested earlier in South Carolina and is expected to make his initial court appearance in federal court there. The case will move forward in the Southern District of New York.
DEA New York Task Force Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam described the operation as part of a dangerous pipeline feeding guns into the city. “Today’s arrest and indictment of Daryl Rutherford expose a dangerous pipeline responsible for trafficking multiple semiautomatic pistols and rifles, and other illegal firearms from South Carolina to New York City,” she said. “The DEA, along with our federal, state, and local partners, will continue to identify and target these criminal organizations at every level.”
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York stressed the impact on public safety. “Gun trafficking into New York fuels violent crime and New Yorkers want it stopped,” Clayton stated. “As alleged, Daryl Rutherford contributed to the illegal flow of guns into New York City, endangering New Yorkers for nothing more than personal, financial gain.”
Homeland Security Investigations and ATF officials echoed the concern over interstate pipelines. Acting HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso called the alleged scheme a “freeway of illegal guns” that arms criminals and endangers families. ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo highlighted how such trafficking drives gun violence in New York City.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch noted the collaborative effort that shut down the operation. “The defendant allegedly transported a large cache of firearms including semiautomatic rifles and a shotgun along with ammunition across state lines and sold them illegally on our streets for profit,” she said.
If convicted, Rutherford faces significant prison time: up to 15 years on the firearms trafficking and felon-in-possession charges, plus additional penalties on the unlicensed dealing and interstate transport counts.
The indictment highlights ongoing efforts by federal and local agencies to disrupt gun trafficking routes that bypass strict New York gun laws by sourcing weapons from states with different regulations. Authorities say these cases form part of broader initiatives targeting the flow of illegal firearms into major cities.
The charges remain accusations at this stage, and Rutherford is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The investigation involved the DEA, HSI, ATF, NYPD, and other partners including South Carolina law enforcement.
This case adds to a pattern of federal prosecutions aimed at stopping the interstate movement of guns that end up in criminal hands in high-regulation urban areas. Officials say continued vigilance and cross-jurisdictional cooperation remain essential to reducing gun violence on city streets.
