Philadelphia Man and Friends Face Charges for “Ghost Guns” and Silencers Scheme
A man from the Philadelphia area, along with two of his friends, has been charged with assembling and trafficking illegal “ghost guns” and silencers, according to authorities. The case involves Tony Phan Ho, 32, Ritha “Kay” Ngoy, 36, and Michael Phan Nguyen, 32, all residents of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The charges include operating a corrupt organization, conspiracy, and various weapons-related counts.
Federal investigators have been keeping an eye on Tony Phan Ho since May, after discovering that components for silencers were delivered to his residence. The investigation has led to the revelation of an alleged operation involving the creation and distribution of “ghost guns” – firearms without serial numbers that are hard to trace.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the charges against the trio. The investigation unveiled that Ho was initially linked to a shipment of silencer parts, which law enforcement intercepted and questioned him about. Ho initially claimed that a friend had unintentionally ordered the silencers, but he later confessed to purchasing the components himself. He admitted that he occasionally assembles firearm components for friends and family to earn money.
Ho denied making fully functional “ghost guns,” asserting that he didn’t produce firearms without serial numbers. As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that Ho had asked his friend Ngoy to take guns and firearm parts away from his residence. Ngoy complied and later surrendered these items to the authorities.
Additionally, authorities uncovered that Nguyen had asked Ho to construct “ghost guns” for him, and Nguyen had also attempted to purchase firearms on Ho’s behalf due to Ho’s previous conviction that barred him from legally acquiring guns. This practice is referred to as “straw-purchasing.”
Detectives found evidence that Ho had sold 15 homemade firearms, but authorities suspect that he had the capacity to create many more. A search of Ho’s home and shed unveiled equipment necessary for assembling “ghost guns” from kits obtained online, as well as parts for AR-15 rifles, polymer pistol kits, ammunition, and other gun-related accessories.
Records of online searches revealed that Ho had purchased over 200 “firearms related products and body armor” via eBay in the past three years. These purchases included components such as pistol slides, barrels, triggers, AR-15 parts, ammunition, and silencer components.
Ho’s attorney, Richard Blasetti, chose not to comment on the charges, while Michael Phan Nguyen’s attorney, Paul Mallis, did not respond to requests for comments. No attorney information for Ritha “Kay” Ngoy was available in court records.