NEW JERSEY – Manufactures who target sales of “ghost guns” in New Jersey may face legal action by the state attorney general.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal sent cease-and-desist letters for “ghost gun” manufacturers. The letter orders such manufacturers across the nation to stop advertising and selling their products in New Jersey.
“Ghost guns” often are partially completed firearms that come with parts needed to finish them, and are not registered and don’t have serial numbers. The companies often train buyers how to finish building the guns.
The appeal for buyers, and what is explicitly advertised by the manufacturers, is that the guns are “unregistered and unserialized builds.”
“These weapons are illegal in our state. Your actions violate the laws of New Jersey and, if you do not stop these activities within 15 days, I will bring legal action against your company,” Grewal wrote in his letter.
It’s against New Jersey law to sell or possess any combination of parts from which an “assault firearm” may be readily assembled. Selling or owning these unregistered weapons is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
“As the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I demand you stop selling and advertising unregistered and unserialized assault weapons to New Jersey residents,” Grewal wrote. These restrictions on unregistered and unserialized assault firearms “promote public safety, since they enable law enforcement to trace these dangerous weapons back to their owners.”
Manufacturers can face civil action as well under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act with penalties of up to $10,000 for a first offense, the letter explains, and up to $20,000 for a second offense as well as for each subsequent offense.
