3 New Jersey men sentenced for homemade weapons deal

Three men who ran a homemade weapons sales operation have been sentenced to federal prison.

The trio participated in the manufacturing and sale of personally crafted firearms, or “ghost guns,” which took place in Hudson and Passaic counties, officials said.

Corey Jenkins Jr., 31, of Paterson, was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months in prison, plus an additional three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey said in a statement Press.

Previously convicted were Richard Mullane, 27, of Bayonne, and Savion Clyburn, 21, of Paterson. Mullane to six years, plus five years of supervised release and Clyburn to five years and three years of supervised release, authorities said.

Federal authorities began investigating a gun sales ring in Paterson and Bayonne in December 2022. Authorities then made controlled purchases from the group and recovered more than a dozen illegal firearms, federal prosecutors said.

While executing the search warrants on Jan. 30, 2023, law enforcement seized additional weapons and also found 600 images of child pornography on electronic devices belonging to Mullane, officials said.

All three men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in firearms without a license and trafficking in firearms without a license. Mullane also pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, while Jenkins also pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

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Nicolas Fernandes can be reached at [email protected].