WOLCOTT, CT – Gregory Leary, 35, of Wolcott, Connecticut, has confessed to operating a ghost gun factory out of his basement, churning out untraceable AR-15-style assault rifles and then funneling them into the shadowy corners of the firearms market. Leary pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court, admitting he manufactured and dealt these weapons without a license.
According to court documents, between January and March of 2022, Leary was assembling Polymer80 firearms kits – essentially build-your-own rifle kits – in his Wolcott home. He wasn’t building these for personal use. He supplied a single individual with a steady stream of illegal weaponry: eight AR-15-style assault rifles equipped with collapsible stocks and high-capacity 30-round magazines, plus a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. All of these firearms were deliberately devoid of serial numbers, making them untraceable to law enforcement.
The feds say Leary didn’t stop at just the rifles. He also delivered 190 rounds of .223 ammunition, 50 rounds of .40 caliber, and another 50 rounds of 9mm to the same individual. Leary admitted in court that he knew his customer was reselling these firearms to others, effectively turning him into a key link in a dangerous chain of illegal gun trafficking. The scale of the operation is chilling – Leary confessed to manufacturing and dealing more than 25 firearms to this one person.
The bust was a joint effort, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Boston Field Division, alongside the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force and several other local police departments including Bridgeport, Shelton, and Hartford. The investigation underscores the growing threat of “ghost guns” – privately made firearms that circumvent background checks and other gun control measures.
Leary now faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison when he’s sentenced on September 25th. He’s currently out on a $20,000 bond, a temporary reprieve before facing the consequences of his actions. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts.
The timing of this plea comes as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco are doubling down on efforts to combat gun violence nationwide. They recently convened a meeting with federal law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies for tackling the surge in violent crime, emphasizing community engagement and focused enforcement. But for the residents of Wolcott, and potentially beyond, the damage may already be done – 25-plus illegal weapons now circulating, thanks to one man’s reckless disregard for the law.
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