The acting Brooklyn district attorney and NYPD on Friday announced that 19 defendants are now charged in three indictments with gun trafficking, bank larceny and weapons possession. NY1's Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.

Police say guns were smuggled into the city from South Carolina, part of a gun-running ring headed by 27-year-old South Carolina resident Colin Toney, who is affiliated with the Bloods gang.      

"Between June 2015 and September 2016, Mr. Toney sold 40 guns to NYPD investigators in Brooklyn and Manhattan. These guns, 40 of them that you see right here in front of me, this one right here would be on our streets if not for the work of the NYPD detectives and the prosecutors in Brooklyn," said Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

Police say the case is the latest example of the Iron Pipeline, traffickers taking advantage of lax laws on gun purchases in the South to re-sell the weapons in New York, which has tough gun control laws. 

"They were purchased legally by a gun runner and then transported here through Chinatown buses and cars," said acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

Toney and his 21-year-old girlfriend Dedra Shantel Wheeler face up to 25 years in prison on gun and conspiracy charges. 

But there is more to this case. Authorities say their investigation led them to other criminal activity, including bank larceny. Julius Salazar is the alleged mastermind of that scheme, withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars. His charges include forgery and grand larceny. 

"That's important because often, the money that's used in credit card fraud and bank fraud is used to further more gang activity."

In total, 19 defendants were charged in three separate indictments. 

This was the first news conference for Gonzalez. He took over for DA Ken Thompson, who died of cancer less than two weeks ago. 

"The flow of these illegal guns into our city was one of DA Thompson's highest priorities," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez vows to continue the fight, and the Police Commissioner says he's glad to have Gonzalez' commitment. 

"In Brooklyn, there are some precincts where we still have challenges, and I think working with the Brooklyn DA's office and through our neighborhood policing program, I think we're going to go a long way in pushing violence down. So I look forward to the relationship," O'Neill said.