3 charged with selling ‘ghost guns’ outside Marietta turkey leg restaurant
Three men are facing federal charges for selling so-called “ghost guns” outside of a turkey leg restaurant in Marietta.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives clarifies that “ghost guns” are personally-made firearms that are not required to have serial numbers when made for personal use. “Ghost guns” become illegal when they are sold.
According to federal prosecutors, Jelani Kazmende, 38, met with Wiley Martin, 42, outside a local restaurant last month and gave him five “ghost guns.” Martin is a convicted felon who was on probation at the time.
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Inside each of the guns that Kazmende sold was a drop-in “auto sear device” that is designed to allow the guns to fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger.
After receiving the guns, Martin sold them, and sixth pistol, to undercover FBI agents.
A few weeks later, Kazmende and Wiley met Robert Louis Jeffords Jr. outside the same turkey leg restaurant. Prosecutors say the three men then pulled 16 “ghost guns” out of Giffords’ truck.
Giffords also took 17 auto sear devices into the restaurant. Once the guns had been modified to fire automatically, Jeffords intended to sell them to the same undercover FBI agents, but was stopped before the transaction could be attempted.
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All three were arrested and charged with dealing firearms without a license, possession of machineguns, possession of unregistered firearms and conspiracy.
“Equipped with large capacity magazines, illegal machineguns like those allegedly transported, possessed, and sold by these defendants present immediate danger to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “To protect the community, this office and its partners will identify, target, and prosecute to the fullest extent those who peddle these weapons unlawfully.”
Kazmende, Wiley and Jeffords were all indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month.
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President Joe Biden recently announced changes to the laws surrounding “ghost guns” that will require serial numbers for the kits used to make the guns at home. The new law is set to go into effect in August.
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