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Hartford County resident Steven Gerent-Mastrianni, age 39, of New Britain, was arrested on Tuesday, April 12, after a 10-month investigation into the illegal manufacturing and sale of firearms, state police reported.
Police said he was charged with:
- Firearms trafficking
- Nine counts of sale of an assault weapon
- Possession of an assault weapon
- Nine counts of illegal transfer of a long gun
- Nineteen counts of sale of large-capacity magazines
- Possession of a machine gun
- Nine counts of weapon in a motor vehicle
- Nine counts of illegal transfer of a manufactured firearm without a serial number “ghost gun”
Police said Gerent-Mastrianni was a pistol permit holder at the time he was arrested, and he was found carrying a "ghost gun" pistol.
After his arrest, search warrants executed at Gerent-Mastrianni's home and some of his vehicles resulted in the seizure of about 125 firearms and firearm components capable of making the weapons fully automatic, according to state police.
Police said the items seized included:
- Fully-automatic firearms
- Semi-automatic firearms
- Shotguns
- Pistols
- Pistols with threaded barrels
- Hundreds of high capacity magazines
- 30,000 to 40,000 rounds of ammunition
- A high-tech 3D printer and pistol lower receivers that appeared to be made with the printer
Police said most of the weapons seized are considered "ghost guns."
Three homemade explosive devices were also found in the home, and Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad safely disposed of the devices, authorities said.
Police said the following agencies assisted the Firearms Trafficking Task Force during the investigation:
- The Connecticut State Police – Statewide Narcotics Task Force, CSP - Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force
- CSP - Electronics Surveillance Unit, CSP - Bomb Squad
- CSP - Central District Major Crime Squad
- New Britain Police Department
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
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