18 Indicted in NYC for Ghost Gun Manufacturing and Pandemic Fraud

Manhattan DA uncovers a complex scheme involving city employees in the production of untraceable firearms and theft of pandemic assistance funds.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced the indictment of 18 individuals, many of them city employees, for manufacturing ghost guns, defrauding the pandemic unemployment assistance program, and committing burglary.
The investigation revealed a sophisticated operation involving the use of 3D printers to manufacture ghost guns and the theft of personal information to submit fraudulent pandemic assistance claims.
Several defendants used their positions within city agencies, such as the Department of Homeless Services and the NYPD, to facilitate their crimes.
The fraudulent pandemic assistance claims amounted to $1.2 million in payouts, which were used to support lavish lifestyles.
The operation was uncovered through an investigation into a ghost gun factory in an East Village apartment, leading to further discoveries of fraud and burglary.