2 Charged In North Central Connecticut 'Ghost Gun' Case

NORTH CENTRAL CT — Two men accused of doctoring then selling guns in north central Connecticut have been slapped with federal charges, authorities said.

Leonard C Boyle, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Friday that announced that 28-year-old John Lee Ortiz and 30-year-old Audley Reves, both of East Hartford, have been charged with federal firearm offenses related to the illegal fabrication and sale of firearms.

According to case records, in late 2021, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force learned that Ortiz and others were selling "ghost guns," which are homemade firearms that do not contain serial numbers or other identifying markings that prevent them from being traced to the owner, seller or manufacturer of the firearm.

Boyle said that, in December 2021, investigators made controlled purchases of seven handguns, a Bushmaster .223 caliber rifle, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Ortiz. Most of the handguns had no serial numbers and had plastic lower receivers that appeared to be made with a 3D printer. Reeves was identified during the investigation as the fabricator of the ghost guns, according to case records.

Ortiz and Reeves were arrested on Wednesday after a court-authorized search of an apartment on Church Street in East Hartford located six fully assembled firearms, approximately 12 partially assembled firearms, three high-capacity magazines, various firearm parts, and tools used to construct firearms, Boyle said.

Reeves was present in the apartment at the time of the search, and a 3D printer in the apartment was in the process of printing a stock of an AR-15 style rifle, Boyle said.

Ortiz and Reeves are each charged by criminal complaint with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Ortiz is also charged with selling firearms to a prohibited person, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Ortiz and Reeves are currently detained, Boyle said.