Police say one of the purchased firearms has since been connected to at least eight shootings throughout Jersey City.
Law enforcement officials announced the arrest on Staten Island and said it's a big step in getting the illegal weapons off the street, but it still highlights a major threat to public safety. Martin Streich is accused of manufacturing and selling eight ghost guns, including two assault weapons, over the course of three months.
Police say one of the purchased firearms has since been connected to at least eight shootings throughout Jersey City. Streich, 21, was arrested last Wednesday on Staten Island, where he was found in possession of one loaded AR-style collapsible pistol and one unloaded ghost gun. Officials then conducted a search warrant in his apartment in Gravesend, Brooklyn, where law enforcement recovered "five high-capacity magazines, five unfinished frames, a flash bang grenade, one silencer, 385 rounds of ammunition and approximately 18 firearm switches, tools and components." Streich has been indicted on 73 counts and faces "upwards of 25 years behind bars if convicted on the top count, which is criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, and possibly eight and a half to 40 years in prison if sentenced consecutively." When authorities issued their search warrant last week, authorities found what appeared to be an explosive device. It ended up being determined to be fireworks, but led to a big scene at Streich's Brooklyn apartment last week. "Untraceable and highly dangerous, the sole purpose of these weapons is to evade law enforcement and bypass gun safety laws and regulations," said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon. The means and methods of selling and disturbing the guns is still under investigation, but officials believe a majority of the criminal activity happened on Staten Island. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo,
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