Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Makes Huge “Ghost Gun” Bust

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George Shepherd (18) and Jacob Ehlert-Abbott (17)
(Mugshots – Kenosha County Sheriff)

Detectives with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department completed their investigation into an illegal “ghost gun” manufacturing and distribution operation involving high school-aged individuals leading to seven arrests.

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In the morning hours of Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department (KSD) Detectives, Deputies, and multiple area tactical response teams (TRT) conducted five search warrants between Kenosha and Racine Counties. This operation uncovered a large-scale firearm manufacturing and distribution operation. In total, seven individuals have been arrested.

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(Kenosha County Sheriff)

On April 2nd, 2024, Deputies responded to a burglary in Paddock Lake where several firearms were stolen. This burglary started KSD’s investigation into this operation. On May 1st, a concerned mother contacted KSD stating her son was driving around Kenosha County in a car full of guns. At the same time, numerous citizens called in “shots fired” in the area of Silver Lake. A traffic stop was conducted on this vehicle where several stolen firearms were recovered from the April 2nd burglary. Following the traffic stop, two search warrants were conducted in Paddock Lake and Salem Lakes on the night of May 1st where more stolen firearms were recovered. All the firearms recovered were confirmed to have been stolen from the Paddock Lake burglary.    

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(Kenosha County Sheriff)

The investigation into this firearm manufacturing and distribution operation continued into May 29th. These firearms were being sold to high school-aged individuals throughout Kenosha County.

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Located in the search warrants on May 29th were several firearms, lower firearm frames with no serial numbers (commonly known as “ghost guns”), several Dremmel parts kits for making firearms, pistol and rifle magazines, manufactured firearm parts, firearm accessories, and ammunition.

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(Kenosha County Sheriff)

All those arrested in this case confessed to the manufacturing of firearms and selling firearms.

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Those arrested are:

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George Shepherd – 18 years old, Jacob Ehlert-Abbott – 17 years old,
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
  • Jacob Ehlert-Abbott – 17 years old
  • George Shepherd – 18 years old
  • Five (5) other 16-year-old males

Criminal Charges include:

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  • Receiving Stolen Property – Firearm
  • Intentionally Sell Dangerous Weapons to Child
  • Possess Dangerous Weapon – Person < 18
  • Carry Concealed Weapon
Sgt. Colin Coultrip – KSD Spokesman
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

“The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department would like to publicly thank the Racine County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Kenosha Police Department for all their assistance in conducting these search warrants,” said Sgt Colin Coultrip, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

Kenosha County Sheriff David W. Zoerner
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

“The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department has been and will continue to be, proactive in keeping our community safe. Because of the outstanding work by our KSD Detectives and deputies as well as all those who assisted throughout this case, countless further crimes involving these illegally manufactured and sold firearms have been prevented. Lives have been saved and our community is truly safer with this firearm manufacturing and distribution operation shut down!” -Sheriff David W. Zoerner

“No further information will be released at this time,” said Coultrip.

(Kenosha County Sheriff)
(Kenosha County Sheriff)

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51 Responses

      1. I don’t, the items were stolen and these were underage kids (excluding 1). This isn’t about arming yourself from the evil government.

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          1. Fuck you for a difference of opinion then. The laws prohibiting sales of guns to underage individuals has been ruled constitutional.
            Hope you meet one of these thugs one day to clear your mind.

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          2. The Constitution didn’t take into consideration that our country would turn into a bunch of idiots that can’t be responsible for their own actions.

            There are parents in this incident that didn’t even know their kids were selling guns to gang bangers and Instagram trigger twirlers. How can they be so oblivious?

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          3. Quite the quandary, considering you are obviously too ignorant to be trusted with a gun. Guess that’s why various gun laws have been found constitutional. Pretty sure there’s something about keeping insane people like you from arming themselves

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    1. I agree our God given rights ( not given to us by the government) “shall not be infringed”, but this isn’t what the article is about. It’s about these guys stealing the guns and selling stolen guns.

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    1. Ok. I’m not disagreeing with you on our God given rights “not being infringed”, I wholeheartedly agree and completely believe in gun rights. My question, and it’s not to argue, a genuine question, how is breaking into someone’s place of business and stealing guns and selling them a God given right( God says “though shalt not steal”, right?) or even a Constitutional right? Again, I’m just trying to understand where some people are coming from with that statement (genuinely).

      1. Because whenever Boomers want to do something, they label it their “god given right”.

        I’m pretty sure god disagrees.

  1. I don’t recall seeing anything about the original burglary in Paddock Lake. Glad that guy got his weapons back.

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  2. Since some involved are school age is it a possibility firearms have been/is/are present in any schools?

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  3. Didn’t judges usta make kids join the Armed Forces vs go to jail? Make these kids join the Pier Queers as armorers , there’s squid Captains that can’t even handle a weapon

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      1. It used to be that it was a good thing for guys to “straighten out” when they were messing up in society, but from what I hear now in the military they don’t make the guys do half the hard things they had to do years ago. They have become soft and that’s sad.

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  4. “Ghost guns” is another lie drummed up by demorats, left wing commie news and cops who want to look good on the news. There is no such thing as a “ghost gun”.

    In the age of modular firearms systems there is no serial number on the “lower” frame, upper frame or anywhere. The serial number is on the firing mechanism unit that is swapped out between different caliber platforms. Because, wait for it… the platforms are modular. As in one firing mechanism for one pistol that can be changed to fire different calibers.

    Perfectly legal.

    Stolen firearms with the serial numbers removed are… stolen firearms with the serial numbers removed. Both crimes already libtards.

    Please do your homework Ktown news.

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    1. Well Old Man… The “children” are building unidentifiable guns by ordering illegal parts and creating some parts with 3D printers. Someone came up with the silly name GhostGun and it stuck. These little darlings have also been cranking out “switches” meant to modify certain guns to full auto.

      These guns ARE illegal as they were not shipped/created in an allowable legal way and they don’t have serial numbers.

      You should try to keep up with modern things so you’ll understand better. (America One and NewsMax are too busy talking nonsense to inform you about real news)

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      1. There are older firearms without serial numbers—and many were legally manufactured that way previous to 1968.
        Unless otherwise restricted by age or state/local regulations, criminal record an individual can manufacture a firearm and retain possession without it being serial numbered.

        Illegal full auto switches often times enter the country from China or via Mexico…much the same as fetanyl.

        There are other errors in your post so if you have questions or comments please post them. And if you work for KUSD spend more of your time exposing crime there.

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        1. Show us one firearm manufactured (modern, 19th century) without a serial number. We will wait.

          So… one can buy a Chinese magic “full auto switch” that changes a firearm to full auto. Show us.

          By the way, fully automatic firearms are perfectly legal to own. Just like tanks, canons and fighter jets.

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          1. The “magic” switches were previously sold on Amazon, and were labeled as “airsoft parts”. The ATF did eventually crack down on availability on Amazon once they knew.

            1. Oh yeah…a gov’t agency cracking down. That’s funny but about as accurate as Tammy Baldwin stopping the tidal wave of fentanyl entering the United States.

              BTW—Happy Pride Month! Should be some serious taxpayer money spent this month on Charcuterie board buffets by certain under performing public educational facilities. No doubt ‘Buffet Bob’ Wirch free lunch radar is activated.

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            2. Ha! Okay. If that makes you sleep better at night.

              For the non-gun people: Many modern guns (such as Glock) are not completely metal. The switches are easily printed/constructed out of the same polymer and the directions to install are available everywhere. Even the dumbass children are able to make them.

              Old people need to stop watching Trump stories and actually do some research.

          2. Let me guess….you needed someone to write your term papers and, heaven forbid, your Masters Thesis……

            Here’s you go….not an example just the law per the gov’t. Plenty of examples show up…old Wards/Sears .22s, shotguns, that sort of thing.
            https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/qa/are-firearms-were-made-prior-gun-control-act-1968-required-be-marked-serial

            And yeah…know about the hurdles to owning restricted firearms. If you want to know about contraband firearms parts and drugs check with most any KUSD student….or maybe staff.

            1. So you couldn’t find a single example of a firearm with no serial number… Shocking to those in the know.

              Sears firearms were made for them by multiple companies. They ALL had serial numbers. You are arguing that prior to 1968 some companies didn’t use serial numbers for inventory, sales and shipping? For sale to THE mail order catalog company of the 19th century…

              Just stop talking.

              1. No doubt you still treasure a few copies of the Sears catalog with the woman’s section pages well used, stained, and dog eared.

                But in any event, and no doubt your advanced degree makes you capable of a google search….
                “example of sears firearm without serial number”

          3. Full auto switches can be made by anyone with a 3D printer and the dimensions downloaded off the internet. Why do you think the majority are confiscated from teenagers?

            Try and keep up

        2. NOW you’re pulling lies out of your @ss. It is illegal to manufacture and retain an gun without a serial number. Gun manufacturers have to register with the government.

          Sorry Hillbilly Bob, we ain’t talkin’ ’bout your rubber band guns.

      2. “Ordering illegal parts”

        Oh really? Where? Same place you order unicorns, bipedal valves for your muffler and sea monkeys?

        3D printed parts? For stolen guns, metal firearms? Sure. Okay. That’s rich. The only one drinking the flavor aide in libtard fantasy land here is you. Let me guess, 3D printed forks made you fat… and ghost guns made your granddaughter pierce her nose to go with her lgtbxzy rainbow mullet.

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        1. You really ARE out of the loop. I would give you the links to the overseas suppliers of the parts, but I’m afraid you’d actually try to buy something.

          And yes, 3D printers are real. Pull yourself out of the 1980s for a minute.

  5. Man, if only they could cut down on the speeding and erratic driving on Highway 31, Highway S (the new section), and so many other stretches in the county. They would be able to increase funding to their department, as well as cut down on traffic deaths in the county. Kenosha was 15th (out of 72) in Wisconsin Road deaths. This seems like a big failure by our sheriff’s department. We should be talking about this.

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