A Jersey City man has been charged along with three other men with weapons offenses related to the fabrication and sale of personally made firearms, also known as “ghost guns.”
According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Julian Santiago, 26, of Jersey City was charged with conspiracy to engage in unlicensed firearms dealing and manufacturing and engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing and manufacturing, including by manufacturing and subsequently selling personally made firearms, also known as PMFs. Santiago is also charged with transferring a firearm to a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives describes a PMF as a firearm made by a person other than a licensed manufacturer lacking a serial number placed by a licensed manufacturer at the time the firearm was produced.
The investigation leading to today’s charges began in December 2022, when the ATF, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, began investigating a firearms trafficking network operating largely in Paterson and Bayonne that included Santiago along with co-defendants Savion Clyburn, 20, and Corey Jenkins Jr., 30, both of Paterson; and Richard Mullane, 26, of Bayonne.
During December 2022 and January 2023, law enforcement conducted at least nine controlled purchases which resulted in the recovery of 12 firearms, including 11 PMFs and one serialized Kel-Tec SUB-2000 Rifle.
Santiago is charged with selling three PMFs on three separate occasions.
Law enforcement officials have recovered PMFs that were customized with different colors and designs, and two of which were threaded for silencers.
All four men face a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine of up to $250,000 on each of Counts One and Two. Santiago faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on Count Three.
The defendants were scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court.