‘Ghost Gun Factory’ Run Out Of East Village Pad: DA

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers can perform miracles with cramped kitchens, closets and bedrooms. But one East Village man is accused of using his apartment for a downright deadly use of space: a “ghost gun factory.”

Cliffie Thompson, 35, illegally churned out 3-D printed ghost gun parts from his apartment, prosecutors said Friday.

A 69-count indictment charging Thompson with numerous felonies is a sign that so-called ghost guns — which don’t have serial numbers and are largely untraceable — continue to spread in the city, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“This alleged ghost gun factory posed a serious threat to public safety, and I thank our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their excellent work in preventing any harm coming from these weapons,” he said in a statement.

The case began Jan. 15, when police arrested Thompson on accusations that he assaulted his girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Thompson told a woman at his apartment to remove things from his home, but police turned up the next day with a search warrant, authorities said.

Police found five guns and ammunition inside the apartment, as well as what prosecutors called a “highly sophisticated setup to manufacture ghost gun parts from scratch,” authorities said.

The setup included two 3-D printers with plastic filament in them, about 11 spools of that filament used for printing, a kiln and 3-D printed gun parts in various stages of completion, prosecutors said.

Officers also found Thompson had about 36 blank forged credit cards with the personal identifying information of other people, authorities said.

Thompson faces several charges, including six counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.