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Lower East Side resident could face prison time for making ‘ghost guns’ at home
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 12, 2022
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Courtesy of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 12, 2022
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A Lower East Side man has been charged with building assault-style weapons and other firearms in his Lower East Side apartment, and keeping them within easy reach of two toddlers. Jose Rivera, 47, bought dozens of gun parts and a machine that allowed him to manufacture so-called “ghost guns” in his home just by pressing a button, according to a press release from the Manhattan district attorney. He pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.
“The allegations in this case once again make clear how easy it is for anyone to assemble a semiautomatic weapon in their own home,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a press release. “We must continue to enforce our strong gun laws in order to stop the flow of weapons into our city, whether they are from the iron or the polymer pipeline.”
Rivera’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
The DA’s office said police found six homemade firearms, including two assault weapons, and about 200 rounds of ammunition during a search of Rivera’s apartment. He has a prior felony conviction and was not allowed to possess any firearms, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement call homemade firearms like the ones Rivera is accused of manufacturing “ghost guns” because they typically lack serial numbers, making them difficult to track. New York passed two laws last year that made it illegal for anyone other than a licensed gunsmith to possess or sell a ghost gun or unfinished firearm parts in the state.
Attorney General Letitia James ordered dozens of retailers to stop marketing and selling ghost guns to New Yorkers earlier this year. Both she and Mayor Eric Adams have sued several companies accused of illegally selling gun parts. A few retailers have already settled those lawsuits and agreed to stop doing business with New York City residents.
In Manhattan, the DA’s office said 79 ghost gun parts, 23 guns with serial numbers, and hundreds of high-capacity magazines have been seized as part of its special initiative focused on ghost guns.
Cracking down on guns has been a priority for both city and state leaders, as violence has hovered above pre-pandemic levels. Shootings and murders are both down about 14% in New York City compared to this time last year, according to police data, while reports of all other major crimes are up. Officers have taken more than 5,000 illegal firearms off the streets so far this year.
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ghost guns
indictment
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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