2 men arrested in ‘ghost guns’ operation after detectives search homes in Woburn, Burlington

WOBURN, Mass. — Two Massachusetts men are facing criminal charges related to the production of “ghost guns,” which are untraceable, following raids on homes in Woburn and Burlington.

Sean O’Connor, 37, of Woburn, was arraigned last month on charges including possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity feeding device, improper storage of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, caring a large capacity firearm, possession of a large capacity feeding device, possession of a firearm without a license, subsequent offense, possession of ammunition without a license, and operating with a suspended license, Massachusetts State Police announced Tuesday.

A trooper on patrol in Wilmington on Feb. 9 stopped O’Connor for driving under the influence and found him to be in possession of a loaded 9mm Glock-style firearm with no serial number, along with magazines and ammunition for an AR-15 rifle, state police said.

Police later executed a search warrant at O’Connor’s Brentwood Lane home in Burlington, where they reportedly discovered additional completed Glock-style ghost guns, frames and components of uncompleted handguns and AR-15-style rifles, and a drill press and other tools used to fabricate ghost guns.

As part of the investigation into the discovery of the ghost guns, detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office descended upon a home on Totman Drive in Woburn, where they seized a 3D printer, multiple 3D printed Glock-style pistol frames, 3D printed magazines and feeding devices, several gun parts, and tools used for manufacturing of firearms.

A resident of that home, 32-year-old Vincent Johns, was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm without a license and trafficking firearms.

“These cases are just two examples of a dangerous trend we are seeing involving firearms,” Middlesex DA Marian Ryan said.

Ryan also warned of the risks associated with creating weapons with 3D printers.

In addition to the dangers to the public posed by unregistered and untraceable firearms, gun parts manufactured with 3D printers, similar to what we found in Woburn pose a particular risk to the user due to the fact that improper assembly or the use of plastic parts makes the guns likely to break apart or fire improperly upon use,” Ryan explained.

An investigation into the ghost gun operation remains ongoing.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group