A Manhattan ex-con has been indicted after a massive cache of ghost guns — including an AR-15 style rifle — and other gun parts were found inside his apartment, according to the district attorney.
Jose Rivera faces a 32-count indictment for a litany of charges, including weapon possession and child endangerment. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that the 47-year-old Rivera bought at least 55 ghost gun parts worth more than $7,000.
That includes the "Ghost Gunner 3," which is an automated machine the DA said can manufacture ghost guns with just the touch of a button.
Rivera, who has a prior felony conviction on his record and was not allowed to possess any firearms whatsoever, purchased the dozens of components between Oct. 2016 and May 2022, the DA said in a release Tuesday. Many of the purchases were shipped to Pennsylvania, given that they are illegal under New York law.
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The NYPD and New York State Police searched Rivera's Lower East Side apartment on Sept. 22, finding six fully assembled ghost guns — three of which were loaded with high-capacity magazines, according to the DA. Two of the guns were made into assault rifles, including an AR-15 style rifle, while other parts and about 200 rounds of ammo were allegedly discovered.
A few of the guns appeared to have been made from raw blocks of aluminum by using the Ghost Gunner 3 machine. Two of the firearms found, which were not locked or safely stored, were easily accessible to the 2-year-old and 3-year-old children living at the apartment.
"The allegations in this case once again make clear how easy it is for anyone to assemble a semi-automatic weapon in their own home,” said Bragg. "Thanks to the work of our prosecutors and the hardworking detectives at the NYPD, we have prevented these firearms from hitting our streets and causing harm to New Yorkers."
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Attorney information for Rivera was not immediately clear.
