‘Ghost guns’ send 3 New Jersey men to prison for years

Three men from North Jersey have each been sentenced to several years behind bars for dealing "ghost guns" while one will also be doing time for child porn.

• 31-year-old Corey Jenkins, Jr., 31, of Paterson was sentenced to 87 months, or about 7 years, in prison and three years of supervised release

• 27-year-old Richard Mullane of Bayonne was sentenced to 72 months, or 6 years, in prison followed by five years of supervised release

• 21-year-old Savion Clyburn of Paterson was sentenced to 60 months, or 5 years, in prison and three years of supervised release

The trio previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in unlicensed dealing of firearms and one count of engaging in unlicensed dealing of firearms. In addition, Jenkins pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and Mullane pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Federal authorities say they began investigating a firearms trafficking network, operating largely in Paterson and Bayonne, that included Clyburn, Jenkins, and Mullane, among others in December 2022.

During December 2022 and January 2023, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases which resulted in the recovery of over a dozen firearms. Law enforcement recovered additional firearms during the execution of search warrants on Jan. 30, 2023, including a loaded PMF that Jenkins threw out of a window of his home upon realizing that law enforcement was nearby.

While examining electronic devices seized from Mullane’s home, officials say they discovered more than 600 images of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger thanked the numerous law enforcement agencies that worked on this case, including the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, New Jersey State Police, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and numerous local police departments.