“Untraceable ghost guns help empower criminals and are a threat to New Yorkers everywhere,” said Attorney General James. “This takedown is part of my office’s ongoing work with our partners in law enforcement to remove ghost guns from our streets and ensure the gun traffickers who threaten our communities see justice. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to stop the sale of illegal guns in our state and protect New Yorkers from gun violence.”
The investigation, which began in June 2022, was a joint effort between the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the New York State Police (NYSP) Community Stabilization Unit. It employed a range of tactics, including law enforcement subpoenas, covert surveillance, the use of undercover investigators and significant intelligence gathering.
The operation successfully recovered 31 firearms and receivers, including 18 ghost guns or parts used to make ghost guns, dozens of high-capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Among the seized weapons were nine Polymer80 and AR-15 style unfinished frames/receivers, nine unserialized and unregistered Polymer80 ghost-gun pistols, and an assortment of serialized but unregistered firearms.
This operation is part of a broader strategy initiated following legislation enacted in 2021 to combat the sale and possession of unregistered and unserialized firearms, particularly ghost guns. These efforts are designed to close loopholes that have allowed ghost guns to proliferate in urban, suburban and rural areas alike.
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