A Barberton resident, Alexander Beattie, is sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for illegally manufacturing and selling 3D-printed ghost guns, a practice contributing to a national surge in violent crime. Beattie, 36, produced various firearms, including handguns and AR-15s, and sold them to undercover agents despite a prior felony record, which prohibits him from possessing firearms.
The case sheds light on a disturbing trend, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports over 92,000 suspected ghost guns recovered nationwide between 2017 and 2023. These untraceable firearms are linked to nearly 1,700 homicides, amplifying concerns about public safety and illegal trafficking, as Beattie also sold devices to convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic guns. This troubling increase in ghost gun incidents emphasizes an urgent call for regulatory measures against such untraceable weapons.
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