Polymer80 has agreed to pay the city a total of $1.2 million for damages and will stop all sales within the state.
As part of an agreement with the City of Baltimore, a major ghost gun manufacturer agreed to stop selling untraceable guns to residents of Maryland.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott revealed on Wednesday that a settlement had been reached in a case brought by the city against Polymer80 of Nevada, which manufactures so-called “ghost gun” kits in the U.S.
The company’s website states that it is a specialist in firearm parts and kits, including unfinished receivers for making privately made firearms.
LA County Ghost Gun Lawsuit Ghost guns on display at San Francisco Police Department headquarters.
Baltimore officials claimed that Polymer80 classified their kits as “non-firearms” and many of these products ultimately ended up in minors’ hands and the possession of convicted felons.
Scott stated that “nine out of ten homicides are committed in Baltimore City with guns.” “As promised, we are using all the tools at our disposal to combat the epidemic of gun violence that we face. Our comprehensive approach has finally been successful in reducing violence.”
Baltimore will receive $1,2 million as part of the settlement with Polymer80.
Gun part manufacturers will be prohibited from selling ghost guns or advertising in Maryland.
Maryland also requires that firearms dealers who sell Polymer80 in neighboring States must stop all customer service to Maryland and submit quarterly reports to Baltimore showing each sale of ghost weapons to neighboring states.
Officials in Baltimore said that the terms of the settlement “account for some of the most extensive and strictest terms” to date in any lawsuit filed by jurisdictions throughout the U.S. against ghost gun makers.
Baltimore, Md., skyline
Scott stated that “we must hold accountable everyone who is involved in this violence, from the people who pull the trigger to gun dealers and manufacturers who are responsible for the supply of guns to our city.” This settlement, and the message it sends regarding the harmful impact these ghost guns have on our communities, is a crucial victory in the fight against gun violence.
After ghost guns appeared on Baltimore’s streets and in the possession of minors, the city filed lawsuits in 2022 against Polymer80 as well as Hanover Armory.
Hanover Armory’s case was not included in the settlement, and it is expected that it will go to trial on October 20, 2024.
Baltimore Police Department has so far this year seized 43 ghost weapons, which is 30% more than the same time last year.
