Cortlandt Man Charged with Manufacturing ‘Ghost Guns’
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A Town of Cortlandt man was charged Tuesday by Westchester County Police with manufacturing and possessing untraceable “ghost guns” at his Langeloth Drive home.
Nicholas Zito, 22, was taken into custody about 9 a.m. following a multi-agency investigation that involved Westchester County Police, New York State Police, FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.
“I commend our Conditions Unit, the Real Time Crime Center, and our partners in this investigation,” said Westchester Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor. “We are all committed to keeping illegal firearms of all kinds, including ghost guns, off the streets of our communities.”
Zito was allegedly using a 3D printer to manufacture the ghost guns, which contain no serial numbers and are untraceable when recovered following the commission of a crime. Items seized from his residence were three loaded firearms lacking serial numbers, four unfinished/non-serialized frames for firearms, and 23 high-capacity ammunition magazines and ammunition.
He was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree (loaded firearm) and multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd Degree (for possessing three or more firearms and the 23 ammo clips)—all felonies. He was also charged with four counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree (for the unfinished firearms).—a misdemeanor.
Zito was arraigned in a neighboring court and was remanded to the Westchester County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail or a $50,000 bond. He appeared in Cortlandt Town Court Wednesday. The case is being prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Raynor noted that the Westchester County Police, in partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, have seized hundreds of ghost guns through investigations conducted in the last few years.
Anyone with information regarding the manufacture, possession or sale of ghost guns is asked to contact the Westchester County Police. The department maintains telephone and electronic tips lines so the public can provide information on this and other criminal activity.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
