Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    He could face a decade in prison.
    Jan 13th, 2022

    https://www.ien.com/video/video/2199...ing-ghost-guns

    A Rhode Island man could face 10 years in prison for assembling and trafficking so-called “ghost” guns.

    Prosecutors allege that Robert Alcantara, 34, purchased parts to assemble more than 100 firearms from 2019 to 2021.

    He then machined them in his Providence home and sold or attempted to sell the completed, working guns.

    Authorities said they recovered firearm parts from Alcantara’s car and seized 45 guns from his house.

    He was charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and making false statements. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

    “Ghost” guns are firearms that can be lawfully assembled by individuals using parts and blueprints ordered online.

    They are untraceable and can be used to circumvent background check requirements.

    It is illegal to sell them.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by wew3 View Post
    He could face a decade in prison.
    Jan 13th, 2022

    https://www.ien.com/video/video/2199...ing-ghost-guns

    A Rhode Island man could face 10 years in prison for assembling and trafficking so-called *ghost* guns.

    Prosecutors allege that Robert Alcantara, 34, purchased parts to assemble more than 100 firearms from 2019 to 2021.

    He then machined them in his Providence home and sold or attempted to sell the completed, working guns.

    Authorities said they recovered firearm parts from Alcantara*s car and seized 45 guns from his house.

    He was charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and making false statements. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

    *Ghost* guns are firearms that can be lawfully assembled by individuals using parts and blueprints ordered online.

    They are untraceable and can be used to circumvent background check requirements.

    It is illegal to sell them.
    When it comes to that, I'm fine with stiffer penalties, much stiffer. Every time I hear about something like this, I wonder what the perp's rap sheet looks like and if he should already be in lockup.
    Gender confusion is a mental illness

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Trying to be objective here.

    First problem minimum is it appears he was manufacturing and 'in business' without a license based on volume. You can manufacture, then sell later, but we all know the difference here. Best case.

    Second problem: RI appears to have a background check and 7 day waiting period to sell any gun privately. Strike two.

    Third problem: Piggybacking on the second. Who did he sell to? Prohibited on top of skipping the BGC and waiting period? The can of worms is opened. Strike three.

    He's in a huge pile of it.

    He'll be lucky to plead out and get less than a 20 year taxpayer funded vacation. I suspect more like 30.

    Not saying I agree with those laws, but that's the likelihood.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by Walleye Hunter View Post
    When it comes to that, I'm fine with stiffer penalties, much stiffer. Every time I hear about something like this, I wonder what the perp's rap sheet looks like and if he should already be in lockup.
    Should be a misdemeanor and cost the offender a stiff fine, but jailing an entrepreneur is not appropriate, IMHO. The real crime is that .GOV didn't get their taxes...

    LOTS and LOTS of guns available out there and almost anyone can buy a long gun FTF with no background check.

    Walleye, do you have a problem with that particular bit of freedom?
    American by BIRTH, Infidel by CHOICE

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by markshere2 View Post
    Should be a misdemeanor and cost the offender a stiff fine, but jailing an entrepreneur is not appropriate, IMHO. The real crime is that .GOV didn't get their taxes...

    LOTS and LOTS of guns available out there and almost anyone can buy a long gun FTF with no background check.

    Walleye, do you have a problem with that particular bit of freedom?
    Come on man! He didn't build those!



    Actually, that may be a legitimate defense.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by markshere2 View Post
    Should be a misdemeanor and cost the offender a stiff fine, but jailing an entrepreneur is not appropriate, IMHO. The real crime is that .GOV didn't get their taxes...

    LOTS and LOTS of guns available out there and almost anyone can buy a long gun FTF with no background check.

    Walleye, do you have a problem with that particular bit of freedom?
    Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I jumped to conclusion(s) prematurely by 1) envisioning at least some of them being pistols and 2) them being sold to prohibited people. If I am correct one or both of the above, yes I have a problem with that kind of freedom. Mostly because it shines a negative light on us law abiding folks and sometimes you have to look at the freedoms we have and how such actions will affect those freedoms. Our enemies have enough fodder already and don't need any more.
    Gender confusion is a mental illness

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    We can go on ad nauseum about the laws we disagree with and the un-Constitutionality of the ATF, but this person broke both current federal and RI state law.

    Everyone here yields to some form of tyranny (perhaps very small) on a regular basis.

    As a whole, WE (myself included) are not yet willing to risk our livelihoods and lives for many issues. There's a member on another forum I frequent that always brags about not complying and welcoming CWII. I once asked him to post photos of him carrying his unregistered full auto suppressed SBR's openly in D.C. to show the ATF his courage. Crickets.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by markshere2 View Post
    Should be a misdemeanor and cost the offender a stiff fine, but jailing an entrepreneur is not appropriate, IMHO. The real crime is that .GOV didn't get their taxes . . .
    IMO it's a little more involved at the federal level than just the 10% excise tax due on the manufacture of handguns. The volume of guns is evidence that the accused is engaged "in the business" rather than simply pursuing a hobby or being "an entrepreneur." Entrepreneurs are expected to comply with laws in conducting their businesses.

    In addition to failing to file records and pay the excise tax on firearms manufactured, he failed to obtain a Federal Firearms license for a Manufacturer, failed to make and maintain the required records of transfer and sale of the firearms, and apparently failed to apply required serial numbers to the firearm frames prior to sale.

    . . . LOTS and LOTS of guns available out there and almost anyone can buy a long gun FTF with no background check . . .
    Irrelevant. Those guns "out there" are already manufactured and serialized. Long guns don't get the scrutiny that handguns do by .gov on the PA state and federal levels. The charges against the accused are based on his alleged apparent failure to comply with federal law as written.

    Noah
    Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    And RI still requires a BGC and 7 day waiting period for any private gun sale.

    That doesn't get him in it with ATF, but the state has prosecutorial powers also.
    Last edited by esh21167; January 13th, 2022 at 04:25 PM.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Man Charged for Making, Selling ‘Ghost’ Guns

    Quote Originally Posted by wew3 View Post
    He could face a decade in prison.
    Jan 13th, 2022

    https://www.ien.com/video/video/2199...ing-ghost-guns

    A Rhode Island man ...

    It is illegal to sell them.
    Actually it is not illegal to sell them, you just have to do certain things to be able to do it. If you build a "ghost gun" and later decide you don't want it anymore, you can sell it. You just have to engrave the name of the person who built it along with their city and state and also put a serial number on it. Then it's perfectly legal to sell it.

    The guy who was nabbed just flat did everything wrong/illegal after purchasing the frames/receivers as Noah alluded. If you want to buy 1, 10, 100 or 1000 80% receivers/frames and build guns for yourself, all perfectly legal. But it is apparent that he was not doing this as a hobby or to build himself a collection of self built guns.
    Ron USAF Ret E-8 FFL01/SOT3 NRA Benefactor Member

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