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The charges come against FSS Armory, a New Jersey licensed gun dealer, and two Pennsylvania-based gun companies, Patriot Enterprises Worldwide LLC, a gun show company known more commonly as Eagle Shows, and Not An LLC, a ghost gun products vendor doing business as JSD Supply, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
FSS Armory, in Pine Brook, stored stacks of firearms within “easy reach” of a ground-floor window and showcased their location online — “a decision that was both unlawful and reckless,” Platkin said.
The location had its window smashed and was burglarized on Friday, Jan. 6 by individuals who had conducted a search of the term “gun stores in NJ” on cellphones. A total of 20 firearms were stolen, including pistols, shotguns, rifles and a revolver.
The majority of the stolen firearms have yet to be recovered, and those that have been found were discovered at crime scenes or on the black market, Platkin said.
Meanwhile, Eagle Shows and gun show vendor JSD Supply — who have the same owner — allegedly targeted the sale of untraceable firearms, aka "ghost guns," to New Jersey residents.
The supplier does not conduct background checks or require buyers to ensure that they have not been disqualified from firearm purchase, Platkin says. New Jersey State Police have arrested numerous residents returning from Eagle Shows with illegal products.
“New Jersey’s residents demand and deserve to live free from fear of gun violence, and that requires we do everything possible to get illegal guns off our streets and out of our communities,” said Platkin.
"Today’s action should make New Jersey’s position clear: Gun traffickers and their enablers will be held accountable when their actions place our residents in danger. Gun dealers and the firearms industry must abide by our laws or face the consequences."
The state is seeking monetary and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief and future costs that arise as a result of the public nuisance.
“Selling firearms is a serious business, and irresponsible behavior by gun industry members can have dire consequences for the public,” said SAFE Director Ravi Ramanathan. “The unlawful and unreasonable actions of FSS Armory, JSD Supply, and Eagle Shows have caused significant harms to our communities, and they must be held accountable.”
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