Proud Boy Cuney Gets 87 Months for ‘Ghost Gun’ Arsenal

ALBANY, NY – Jonathan M. Cuney, 38, a part-time resident of East Greenbush, New York, is headed back to prison for a long stretch. Today, he received an 87-month sentence, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for a sprawling firearms case involving illegal “ghost guns” and a history of gunrunning. The bust, a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), reveals a dangerous pattern of skirting the law and arming himself with untraceable weapons.

Cuney previously pled guilty to unlawfully possessing a Springfield Armory rifle, an FMK Firearms Inc. AR-15-style rifle receiver/frame, and three unregistered silencers. The timeframe for these offenses spanned from September 9, 2019, to November 14, 2019. But this wasn’t a first offense. Cuney has a prior conviction for unlawful gun trafficking, landing him a 37-month sentence in 2015 after he was caught transporting and selling firearms with obliterated serial numbers while operating as a licensed dealer. Released in April 2017, he apparently learned no lessons.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Cuney, starting in August 2018, systematically purchased firearms parts from dozens of online retailers, shipping them to addresses in East Greenbush, Willits, California, and Providence, Rhode Island – where he once ran a legitimate firearms business. He then used these parts to illegally manufacture non-serialized handguns and rifles, the so-called “ghost guns” that are increasingly plaguing the streets and frustrating law enforcement efforts to trace illegal weapons.

The scale of Cuney’s operation became clear during searches of storage units in both East Greenbush and Redway, Humboldt County, California. In East Greenbush, ATF agents found two rifles, one revolver, four AR-15 receivers, two completed “ghost” guns, five pistol parts kits, two completed silencers, enough parts for ten more, and a staggering 3,250 rounds of ammunition. The California storage unit yielded even more: two Glock pistols, seven additional handguns, three rifles, one shotgun, five machinegun conversion kits, over ten silencers, and another 1,000+ rounds of ammunition. He also used a straw purchaser to buy thousands of rounds of ammunition in Missouri.

The sentencing wasn’t just about the hardware. Cuney also admitted to purchasing ammunition in Missouri using a straw purchaser and being found with a pistol and rifle during a traffic stop near Tucson, Arizona. Adding another layer to the case, Cuney admitted to joining the Proud Boys organization in late 2018. Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., acknowledged Cuney’s military service, including a combat deployment to Iraq, but wasn’t swayed. “Any credit you might get for being a veteran is outweighed by your conduct as a criminal. You know how to play the system,” the judge stated, adding a pointed critique of Cuney’s attempts at justification: “an ‘A’ for creating writing, but an ‘F’ for conduct.”

As part of the plea agreement, Cuney will forfeit the entire arsenal discovered in New York and California, including the firearms, silencers, ammunition, and parts. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by individuals who exploit loopholes to acquire and manufacture illegal firearms, and the commitment of federal agencies to dismantle these operations. The US Attorney Carla B. Freedman and ATF Special Agent in Charge John B. DeVito announced the sentencing.