ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando gun dealer is staring down over 70 gun charges in New York after the attorney general said he shipped firearms, “ghost guns,” and gun parts to customers in the state.
In a release on Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office announced that the dealer — 65-year-old Lawrence DeStefano, who operated the website Indie Guns — had been indicted on 71 charges.
Indie Guns’ website appears to offer frame and build kits for sale, along with “ghost gunner” parts and excerpts that read as follows:
“Our ancestors created weapons out of necessity, then craft guns became a hobby, now we build them to put personal firearms beyond the reach of government.
The Ghost Gunner is a gun-grabber’s worst nightmare and the greatest hedge against tyranny ever conceived by mankind."
Indie Guns website
In 2024, James announced that her office had secured a $7.8 million judgment and permanent injunction against Indie Guns for its New York sales.
“The company knowingly sells its products directly to consumers without following federal laws requiring background checks, recordkeeping and serial numbers, and boasts on its website that self-assembling guns allows customers to ‘put personal firearms beyond the reach of government,” a release from her office reads.
But a criminal complaint obtained by News 6 argues that DeStefano continued to sell and ship firearms, parts, and ammunition to New York customers between January and May last year.
As a result, he now faces the following charges:
- Fourth-degree conspiracy
- First-degree criminal sale of a firearm (2 counts)
- Third-degree criminal sale of a firearm (39 counts)
- Transport of weapons and dangerous instruments and appliances (28 counts)
- Second-degree criminal sale of a frame or receiver
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An arrest affidavit shows that DeStefano was arrested in October by the Florida Highway Patrol, and jail records reveal that he was extradited to New York on Wednesday.
“Untraceable ghost guns put New Yorkers in danger and enable those who are barred from owning guns to obtain deadly weapons,” James said. “Lawrence Destefano and his company Indie Guns are accused of flooding New York with illegal firearms, and we are determined to bring him to justice. I will not tolerate illegal and dangerous weapons in our communities, and I thank our partners in law enforcement for their work to shut down this ghost gun supplier.”
If convicted on all counts, DeStefano faces a maximum prison sentence of over 520 years.
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You can read the full complaint below: