The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office has announced that an 18-year-old from San Jose, California, could potentially face prison time if found guilty on several serious charges.
Jacob Reyes stands accused of manufacturing close to 30 “ghost” guns right from the confines of his bedroom. His arrest follows allegations of possessing a machine gun and engaging in unlicensed firearm production using a 3D printer, according to a statement from the Santa Clara DA’s office.
Officials claim that Reyes had set up two 3D printers in his room, which were actively producing firearms adjacent to his Air Jordan sneaker collection. Authorities discovered 27 guns in various stages of completion, many allegedly altered to operate as machine guns.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen described the situation as a thriving black market for weapons operating covertly. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of our investigators and law enforcement partners, we’ve removed an arsenal of untraceable, illegal, and deadly weapons from the streets,” he commented in the release.
The DA’s office noted that all but one of the firearms found in Reyes’ home were manufactured using a 3D printer.
All but one gun found in the home was printed, according to the release.
The DA’s office said Reyes faces prison time if convicted but did not specify how much he could face.
What are ghost guns?
Ghost guns are any privately made firearms without the serial numbers that allow police to trace weapons used in crime.
They have been used in high-profile crimes, including a mass shooting carried out with an AR-15-style ghost gun in Philadelphia that left five people dead. Police believe a ghost gun used in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in Manhattan was made on a 3D printer rather than assembled from a kit.
The number of ghost guns found at crime scenes around the country has also soared, according to federal data. Fewer than 1,700 were recovered by law enforcement in 2017, but that number grew to 27,000 in 2023, according to Justice Department data.
