Florida Man Builds ‘Ghost Guns,’ Gets 27 Months

FORT PIERCE, FL – Mark Gene George, 58, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, is trading his garage workbench for a federal prison cell. George was sentenced this week to 27 months behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon – a charge stemming from a disturbing home gun manufacturing operation.

The bust went down in December 2020 when agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) raided George’s Port St. Lucie residence. What they found wasn’t a collector’s hobby; it was a full-blown illegal armory. Agents seized an AK-style rifle, multiple pistols, and a particularly troubling haul of six firearms stripped of serial numbers – so-called “ghost guns” designed to evade tracing.

But the weapons weren’t the half of it. The search also uncovered over 5,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, along with the components to *make* more. George wasn’t just stockpiling; he was actively manufacturing ammunition, complete with the machines and tools needed to do so. Court documents revealed George admitted to building unserialized AR-style rifles and selling firearms online, adding another layer of criminality to the case.

“This case underscores the danger posed by individuals who illegally manufacture firearms,” stated U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “Our office, along with the ATF, is committed to prosecuting those who put our communities at risk by circumventing gun laws.” Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Robinson of the ATF’s Miami Field Division echoed the sentiment, highlighting the agency’s dedication to disrupting illegal firearms trafficking.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover successfully prosecuted the case, built on the investigative work of the ATF Miami Field Division. The 27-month sentence sends a clear message: building and dealing in illegal firearms, especially ‘ghost guns,’ carries serious federal consequences. George’s days of turning his garage into a weapons workshop are definitively over.

Those seeking further information on the case, including related court documents, can find it on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or through PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-14009. Grimy Times will continue to follow federal prosecutions across the nation, exposing the underbelly of criminal activity.