Hundreds Of 'Ghost Guns' Taken Off Street In Federal Gun Bust
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Federal prosecutors call it one of the biggest gun busts in recent memory as eight people are accused of manufacturing and selling untraceable weapons.
One of the defendants in court on Thursday was a corrections officer in San Joaquin County.
Prosecutors say scores of "ghost guns"—firearms without serial numbers or paperwork—were sold to an undercover ATF agent.
Many of the high-capacity weapons with no serial numbers came with silencers. They're often sold on the black market and are some of the most lethal weapons criminals can get their hands on.
"This case is not about a few gun enthusiasts tinkering in their home workshops," said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. "The defendants in this case are charged with selling scores of guns."
Eight defendants are charged, including two brothers. Daniel and David Bennett sat side-by-side in federal court dressed in matching orange jumpsuits. David was a correctional officer in San Joaquin County.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department says the David Bennett was a probationary employee who hadn't completed his training and is no longer with the sheriff's office.
Steve Plesser, the attorney for Daniel Bennett, says his client's involvement in the case is minimal and doesn't include selling weapons.
"I've seen no evidence of that," he said. "We haven't had a chance to talk to him about that, but I've seen no evidence in their indictment he was involved in anything like that."
Prosecutors say the suspects made the firearms piece by piece with legally available parts. Since the guns are untraceable, anyone can buy them without a background check. They're the kind of homemade weapons law enforcement is seeing more and more in crimes in California.