SAN JOSE, Calif. — Three convicted felons are accused of running a ghost gun factory inside a home in an upscale California neighborhood, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The factory was located inside a $1.6 million house in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, according to a news release from the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office.
Joseph Cahoon, 31, of Morgan Hill; Jack Mahon, 38, of San Jose; and Amanda Bazzani, 32, of San Jose, are charged with multiple felony counts of illegal gun possession, the release stated.
"...Ghost guns are being brought into Santa Clara County at a level we have never seen before," DA Rosen said. "People are getting robbed, people are getting murdered and we will not stand by." https://t.co/c5jFrtDvyD
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) February 24, 2022
The trio allegedly specialized in custom-order assault weapons, including AK- and AR-style assault rifles, that were sold on the illegal market, KPIX-TV reported.
Gary Sassman, who lives in the neighborhood, said he was “shocked” by the arrests in the quiet neighborhood.
“It’s old-world charm, parks and kids and lots of restaurants. It’s got its own downtown,” Sassmann told KGO-TV. “I’m shocked. I’m shocked.
“Usually Willow Glen is so safe, you don’t hear of anything like that around here.”
On Feb. 17, a three-location warrant was executed by the district attorney’s office, the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the news release stated. The warrants resulted in the discovery of weapons and the materials used to assemble them.
According to the news release, the home contained an area where gun parts were made and weapons were constructed. Safes were filled with ammunition and weapons; Cahoon, Mahon and Bazzani were prohibited from possessing weapons.
“Ghost guns are swamping our community, illegal part by illegal part,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “This is an extremely dangerous game of Transformers. We are working tirelessly to dismantle these criminal networks.”
©2022 Cox Media Group
