By: Richard L. Smith
Several members of a gun manufacturing and trafficking network in Passaic and Hudson counties have been sentenced to prison for weapons offenses related to the fabrication and sale of personally made firearms (PMFs), commonly known as “ghost guns,” and other offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Federal officials say Corey Jenkins Jr., 31, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced Monday to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Richard Mullane, 27, of Bayonne, New Jersey, was sentenced on June 5, 2024, to 72 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Savion Clyburn, 21, of Paterson, was sentenced on May 30, 2024, to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The defendants previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to one count of conspiracy to engage in unlicensed dealing of firearms and one count of engaging in unlicensed dealing of firearms.
In addition, Jenkins pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and Mullane pleaded guilty to one count of possession of explicit images of minors.
According to court documents and statements, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with state and local law enforcement agencies, began investigating a firearms trafficking network in December 2022.
The network, operating primarily in Paterson and Bayonne, included Clyburn, Jenkins, Mullane, and others.
During December 2022 and January 2023, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases that led to the recovery of over a dozen firearms.
Additional firearms were recovered during the execution of search warrants on January 30, 2023, including a loaded PMF that Jenkins threw out of a window upon noticing law enforcement nearby.
During a search of Mullane’s home on January 30, 2023, pursuant to a court-authorized warrant, law enforcement officers discovered more than 600 images of explicit content involving minors on electronic devices.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the successful investigation and prosecution to the collaborative efforts of the ATF and state and local law enforcement agencies.