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Boston man charged with selling ‘ghost guns,’ machine gun possession
Joshua Morency, 28, of Dorchester, allegedly sold 21 firearms to a law enforcement informant at a Stop & Shop parking lot and a Shell station, among other sites.
A Dorchester man was charged with trafficking firearms after allegedly selling 3-D printed “ghost guns.”
Joshua Morency, 28, allegedly sold 21 firearms, the majority being privately made “ghost guns,” in four undercover controlled purchases between August and October, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prior to the purchases, Morency reportedly spoke with a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives over the phone to arrange a meetup. He often used a coded language to describe the amount and kind of firearms he was selling and sometimes the price, according to court documents.
Most of the purchases were audio and video recorded by law enforcement, according to court documents.
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On Aug. 28, the informant purchased two PMF 9mm pistols without serial numbers and 20 rounds of CCI 9mm ammunition for $1,300 from Morency in the parking lot of a Dorchester Stop & Shop, court documents say.
Morency told the informant he has other customers and another firearm at his residence. He also said he charges $1 per round of ammunition, court documents say.
The informant then asked to purchase the Morency’s personal firearm that was visible, but Morency said it was personal and for protection, according to court documents.
On Sept. 5, Morency reportedly sold the informant four firearms: one PMF .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and three MPF 9mm semi-automatic pistols, all without serial numbers, for $2,760, according to court documents.
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Morency reportedly said he was giving the informant a deal as he usually charges $1,000 per firearm. He also allegedly stated he had a black and gold firearm on him during the transaction, court documents say.
On Sept. 11, the informant purchased two PMF .45 caliber machine guns without serial numbers and a Sig Sauer 9 mm semi-automatic pistol with a serial number for $2,900, court documents say.
During the transaction, Morency allegedly told the informant he has other customers who ship firearms internationally, according to court documents.
On Sept. 24, the informant purchased five firearms, including four machine guns, all without serial numbers, for $5,600 at a Shell gas station in Dorchester, court documents say.
On Oct. 8, the informant purchased three more firearms, including two machine guns, all without serial numbers for $4,600, according to court documents.
Morency last contacted the informant on Nov. 3 to try to arrange a sale and was arrested on Nov. 12, court documents say. He was charged with dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machine gun, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides a sentence of up to five years in prison and possessing a machine gun provides a sentence of up to 10 years, both with with three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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Morency is set to appear in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday, according to court documents.
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