Massachusetts man sentenced to serve 5 years in state prison after manufacturing ghost guns

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Monday that a Massachusetts man was sentenced to five years at the ACI after manufacturing ghost guns.

Neronha’s office said that 24-year-old Jerardy Cruz, of Roxbury, had been manufacturing the guns from an apartment in Providence last year.

Cruz entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession and manufacturing a ghost gun during a hearing in Providence County Superior Court.

The Court sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with five years to serve at the ACI followed by a five-year suspended sentence with probation.

“Our Office has prosecuted nearly 50 cases where these untraceable firearms are being found in the hands of individuals involved in criminal activity,” said Neronha.

Providence police executed a search warrant on Cruz’s apartment on Atwells Avenue on Jan. 19, 2021. When detectives went inside, they caught Cruz actively building multiple ghost guns.

During the search, they found one complete Polymer80 9mm ghost gun; seven Polymer80 ghost gun kits; six parts kits for Glock 17 semi-automatic handguns; a 50-round drum magazine; three 40-round large-capacity magazines; two 33-round large-capacity magazines; tools used to manufacture ghost guns; and 9mm ammunition.