A purported ‘churchman’ who was arrested as part of a major gun trafficking ring in the United States, has been designated by federal prosecutors as the leader of the operation.
He is 48-year-old Andre Collin Lalor, otherwise called ‘Plug Dre’.
Lalor, who has Jamaican ties, and his cronies, who have been linked to over 300 stolen guns in the US, were dragged before a federal court on May 29.
Lalor’s co-accused are 21-year-old Lorenzo Harris-Brown, 20-year-old Sanchez ‘Chezz’ Turner, 23-year-old D’Anthony Varner and 21-year-old Albert Brown.
Jamaica Constabulary Force investigators believe one of the accused may be linked to a major firearms seizure at the Port of Kingston last year.
In May, law enforcement officials intercepted 239 illegal firearms and approximately 30,000 rounds of ammunition in what was described as one of the largest gun busts in recent Jamaican history. While local authorities did not publicly identify a suspect at the time, investigators have indicated that one of the men now facing charges is believed to have connections to the operation.
United States authorities, however, have been far more direct in identifying the alleged mastermind behind the wider firearms-trafficking network.
According to federal prosecutors, 48-year-old Andre Collin Lalor, also known as “Plug Dre,” led the organization responsible for acquiring, transporting and distributing stolen firearms from the United States to Jamaica.
Authorities say the investigation began after a series of residential and vehicle break-ins across northern Atlanta resulted in numerous firearms being stolen. The incidents prompted a multi-agency investigation involving federal and local law enforcement agencies.
As the probe expanded, investigators established a joint task force that ultimately identified Lalor as the alleged head of the trafficking operation.
Prosecutors allege that co-defendants Harris-Brown, Brown and Varner were responsible for stealing firearms during the break-ins. The weapons were then allegedly passed to Turner, who acted as an intermediary before transferring them to Lalor.
From there, authorities claim, Lalor arranged for the firearms to be sold and shipped as part of a larger gun-trafficking scheme that stretched from the United States to Jamaica.
The case remains under active investigation as both Jamaican and American law enforcement agencies continue efforts to dismantle the alleged network and trace the movement of illegal weapons linked to the operation.
