Southern Tier Gun Dealers Cited for Selling Ghost Gun Parts

New York State Attorney General Letitia James says she has found two Southern Tier business had been illegally selling and advertising gun parts that are used to create untraceable firearms known as “Ghost Guns.”

In a news release, the Democrat says she took action on the first day of Gun Violence Awareness Month (June 1) to crack down on 28 gun sellers illegally selling and advertising Ghost Gun parts.

Nine of the businesses that were sent cease-and-desist letters are in Western New York, six on Long Island, five in Central New York, four in the Hudson Valley, one in the Capital Region and two in the Southern Tier, according to James.

The Attorney General did not name the dealers to whom she sent the letters.

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The A.G.’s office investigation found most of the firearms sellers advertised the prohibited unfinished receivers, frames and kits at gun shows or online on their websites.  In a hint that the sellers knew the activity was illegal, some told customers they had to call and ask for a price while others allowed customers to buy online.

Ghost Guns lack registration numbers as they can be built from parts.  Buyers can make a few small changes on a home-shop drill press to turn an unfinished receiver into an operational one ready to be assembled into an illegal, untraceable assault weapon or handgun.

Some of the kits sold in Western New York had all the finishing jigs, drill bits and tools needed to put together the parts for a finished gun that was advertised with “blank serialization plates” that make the gun untraceable.