Five Arrested in 'Ghost Gun' Sting
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Authorities arrested three men in South Los Angeles for the alleged illicit sales of 'ghost guns' as well as additional drug charges.
One suspect 23-year-old Dallas Clavelle were federally charged with five different counts of firearms-related charges and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. The third defendant 60-year-old Rodney Hall was charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office for the sales of a controlled substance. Jorge Padilla, 27, was charged with the sale of an assault weapon. All three men are from Los Angeles.
Two more men were charged but are not in custody. Fredi Castillo-Vega, 30, was charged with five different counts of firearms-related charges and one count of distribution of methamphetamine, similar to Clavelle. The final suspect 25-year-old suspect Louis Soloman was charged by the state with possessing a firearm as a felon.
From Feb. 2020 to Aug 2020 the suspects sold 22 Glock-style pistols and AR-style rifles to law enforcement agents during the six-month sting involving both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to the grand jury indictment, in March and July, 2020 Castillo-Vega was in possession of a semi-automatic handgun converted into a machinegun with a device called a "Glock switch."
Individuals cannot sell firearms without being licensed by the ATF and can face up a federal felony charge which carries the punishment of five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or both.