Justin Nudelman, Firearms Trafficking, New York 2024

Three Staten Island residents and a Florida man have been charged with a nine-count superseding indictment in a federal court in Brooklyn for their involvement in a firearms trafficking conspiracy and illegal possession of machine guns.

Justin Nudelman, his brother Brandon Nudelman, Ronnie Mershon, and Michael Daddea are accused of conspiring to traffic firearms, obstruct justice, and possessing machine guns. The indictment was unsealed earlier today.

According to the indictment, between January 2023 and September 2023, the defendants conspired to illegally manufacture and traffic firearms. Mershon and Justin Nudelman used 3D printers and parts sourced from online retailers to assemble privately made firearms, commonly called “ghost guns.” These 3D-printed firearms included at least 10 devices called “auto sears,” which convert semi-automatic guns into fully automatic weapons and are considered machine guns under federal law.

The defendants allegedly made the unserialized, unregistered ghost guns available for sale without obtaining a license or otherwise notifying government authorities. To date, 23 firearms have already been seized and the investigation has revealed that the defendants made numerous others.

Justin Nudelman and Brandon Nudelman are also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. As alleged, on September 7, 2023, law enforcement officers sought to seize Justin Nudelman’s phone pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant.

United States Attorney John J. Durham, ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced the charges. The defendants were arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, with Daddea making his initial appearance in federal court in Tampa, Florida for removal proceedings to Brooklyn.

The investigation was led by the ATF with assistance from the NYPD, the United States Secret Service, and the New York State Police. ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Miller stated, “Illegally manufacturing and distributing privately made firearms and machine gun conversion devices is a direct threat to public safety.”

NYPD Commissioner Tisch added, “These individuals thought they could evade law enforcement by using 3D printers to churn out illegal ghost guns and endanger our streets — but they were wrong.”

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