New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix announced a lawsuit against five online retailers that have and continue to illegally sell and deliver gun components that are used to assemble illegal and untraceable firearms known as ghost guns into the city.
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As detailed in the lawsuit, five retailers based in Missouri, Washington, Florida, and North Carolina advertised and sold through their websites unfinished frames, receivers, and ghost gun kits to an investigator from the New York City Sheriff’s Office.
The gun components were shipped directly to an address in New York City, in violation of New York state and New York City laws making such sales illegal. These gun components are easily assembled into illegal, untraceable, deadly weapons.
“We are not going to let gun companies turn New York City into a city of mail-order murder,†said Mayor Adams.
“Whether they are hidden in the trunks of cars or packed in a plain brown box, ghost guns are illegal in our city, and we will take every lawful action possible to stop gun retailers from profiting at the expense of the safety of our city.
"That’s why, this morning, we filed a lawsuit against five online gun retailers that are illegally selling and delivering ghost gun components to addresses here in this city. We will not stand by while illegal operators flout the law, endanger our communities, and kill our young people.â€
“It is illegal under state and city law to sell the components that are needed to make untraceable guns — and yet, after just a few clicks on a website, these defendants sell and deliver such parts into New York City,†said Corporation Counsel Hinds-Radix.
“Sadly, people in our city, including children, have been shot or killed with ghost guns. We’re asking the court to immediately stop the sale and delivery into the city of these illegal gun components.
"Those prohibited from owning weapons should not be able to circumvent the law to purchase them online. The companies should be forced to assist the city in recovering the illegal, untraceable ghost guns they delivered here. Those guns endanger the public and undermine law enforcement efforts.â€
“Through our undercover investigation, we were able to identify five retailers selling parts to these deadly weapons online, in violation of city and state law,†said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda.
“We continue to work in close partnership with the New York City Law Department and our other law enforcement partners to hold these retailers accountable for willfully endangering the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers.â€
“This legal strategy is the next logical step in an all-out fight the NYPD joined long ago in standing up a Ghost Gun Task Force, raising awareness about this increasing societal problem, and working with our City Council partners to pass the local laws this welcome court action stands upon,†said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell.
“And we vow to continue this fight, on the city’s streets, before our judges, and in every law enforcement, regulatory, and public policy arena possible. We will continue it until we wipe these illegal guns out and stop the plastic pipeline into our communities. Because these guns shoot real bullets. They hurt New Yorkers. They cause real harm. They are insidious, untraceable weapons. And we will fight until common sense prevails and the rights of victims are put first, and these personally-made-firearms are eradicated, once and for all.â€
New York City’s complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against defendants:
Arm or Ally, based in Kansas City, Missouri;
Rainier Arms, based in North Auburn, Washington;
80P Builder, based in Largo, Florida;
Rock Slide USA, based in Broadway, North Carolina; and
Indie Guns, based in Orlando, Florida. ■