3 Accused Of Running Ghost Gun Factory In San Jose Willow Glen Neighborhood
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Three convicted felons have been charged with running a ghost gun factory inside a house in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood, authorities announced Tuesday.
The suspects were identified as Joseph Cahoon, 31, of Morgan Hill, and San Jose residents Jack Mahon, 38, and Amanda Bazzani, 32. All three were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday after their arrests last week, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said.
The three are suspected of running a full-scale ghost gun factory inside a home on Roy Ave. just south of Curtner Ave. and north of Almaden Expressway. They allegedly specialized in custom-order assault weapons, including AK and AR-style assault rifles, built for criminals and sold on the illegal market, the DA's office said.
On February 17, following a joint investigation led by the DA's office and involving the sheriff's office and the San Jose Police Department and the ATF, officers served warrants at three different locations, including the Roy Ave. residence. The small home had a build area where the gun parts were made and weapons constructed, and safes filled with ammunition and weapons.
"Ghost guns are swamping our community, illegal part by illegal part," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a prepared statement. "This is an extremely dangerous game of Transformers. We are working tirelessly to dismantle these criminal networks."
Officers seized eight assault rifles, two handguns, central parts of assault rifles, three partially completed machine pistols, ammunition, three 3D printers, and suspected fentanyl.
Cahoon, Mahon, and Bazzani, were legally prohibited from possessing weapons because of previous convictions. All three were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
The DA's office said California has seen a massive increase in ghost guns in recent years, The non-serialized guns are preferred
by criminals because they can be obtained on the black market, ordered online, and assembled at home. Felons and prohibited persons can get them without a background check, making them extremely difficult to regulate.
