Feds: 4 NJ Men Charged With Roles in ‘Ghost Gun’ Trafficking Network
Four members of a gun manufacturing and trafficking network in North Jersey have been charged with weapons offenses related to the fabrication and sale of "ghost guns."
That's the word from U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger's office. On Tuesday, they announced the following people had been arrested:
- 20-year-old Savion Clyburn of Paterson
- 30-year-old Corey Jenkins, Jr., of Paterson
- 26-year-old Richard Mullane of Bayonne
- 26-year-old Julian Santiago of Jersey City
All four are charged by complaint with conspiracy to engage in unlicensed firearms dealing and manufacturing and engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing and manufacturing, including by manufacturing and subsequently selling personally made firearms (PMFs).
Santiago is also charged with transferring a firearm to a felon.
According to federal authorities,
Beginning in December 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with state and local law enforcement agencies, began investigating a firearms trafficking network, operating largely in Paterson and Bayonne, that included Clyburn, Jenkins, Mullane, and Santiago. During December 2022 and January 2023, law enforcement conducted at least nine controlled purchases which resulted in the recovery of 12 firearms, including 11 PMFs and one serialized Kel-Tec SUB-2000 Rifle...
If convicted, all four defendants face a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. For the additional charge, Santiago faces up to a decade behind bars and a $250,000 fine.
The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.