CAMDEN, N.J. (1010 WINS) — Three men have been arrested and charged with trafficking "ghost guns" into New Jersey from Pennsylvania, authorities said Wednesday.
Juan Enrique Fernandez, 29, and Ericknell Rivera-Mercado, 30, both of Philadelphia, and Eduardo Lazo Jr., 26, of Camden, sold six AR-style assault rifles, nine 9mm handguns, nine illegal, large-capacity magazines and one silencer in New Jersey after buying them partially-assembled in Pennsylvania, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew Bruck said in a press release.
Authorities who searched their assembly sites in Camden and Philadelphia also found four more handguns, an assault rifle, parts for five assault rifles and a handgun, rounds of ammunition and nine large-capacity magazines, the attorney general's office said.
All of the weapons were "ghost" weapons without serial numbers, which are legally required to trace weapons, according to the attorney general's office.
"Every day, we're working to dismantle the criminal networks that funnel illegal firearms into New Jersey," Bruck said in a statement. "We're especially concerned about the growth of untraceable 'ghost guns,' and we've devoted our full investigative resources to stopping the flow of these dangerous weapons."
