One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Ghost Gun Manufacturer Agrees To $5 Million Settlement With LA
"Ghost guns" seized in federal law enforcement actions displayed at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Glendale field office in April 2022.
(
Robyn Beck
/
FP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto Tuesday announced a $5 million settlement with a Nevada-based ghost gun manufacturer and distributor.
Polymer80 has agreed to:
- Pay $4 million in civil penalties.
- Its two owners agreed to pay an additional $1 million in civil penalties.
- The company is forbidden from providing customer support in assembling ghost guns throughout California.
- It must now conduct a background check of buyers and serialize its ghost gun kits before selling again in the state.
- Polymer80 can no longer say unserialized gun kits are legal in California in its ads or on its website.
Why it matters: City officials say the LAPD has recovered more than 4,200 Polymer80 ghost guns from Jan. 2020 through Feb. 2023.
The backstory: The City Attorney's office, Everytown Law, and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP filed the suit in Feb. 2021. They claimed that Polymer80 didn't conduct background checks, making it easy for underage folks and people with criminal histories to purchase guns. They argued that disregarded federal Gun Control Act requirements and broke California gun laws.
Go deeper: In wake of Monterey Park mass shooting, new gun laws proposed
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
