A Columbus man has admitted culpability in the illicit sale and trafficking of firearms, including automatic weapons and untraceable ghost guns, via social media platforms.
19-year-old Matthew Azor, in proceedings before U.S. District Judge Clay Land, entered a guilty plea to the charge of firearms trafficking last Tuesday. His legal contingencies could mount up to a 15-year imprisonment period, succeeded by a supervised release of at least three years, and a possible fine reaching $250,000. The sentencing awaits adjudication by the court, in a system where parole is non-existent.
As stated by U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary on the U.S. Attorney's Office, "Matthew Azor illegally sold machine guns and ghost guns on social media, making the deadliest of weapons readily available to dangerous individuals." Leary accented the pursuit of severe legal action against those who catalyze gun violence in Columbus, as well as across the Middle District of Georgia.
Illustrating the gravity of these crimes, the ATF's Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka remarked on U.S. Attorney's Office, "the illegal trafficking of machine guns and ghost guns poses an unacceptable threat to the safety of our neighborhoods." According to Kolodka, the ATF stands firm in its mission to combat the proliferation of lethal weapons in the wrong hands and persist in taking to task those who benefit from such chaos.
The undercover probe, stemming from a CPD Gang Unit initiative, unveiled Azor's activities - advertising weapon modifications enabling semi-automatic firearms to mimic machine gun rapid-fire capabilities. A covert ATF agent brokered dealings with Azor, which involved the trading of a modified Glock model 17 and an AR-styled pistol, the latter a "ghost gun" devoid of traceable manufacture records. Later, an attempted transaction for a fully automatic firearm and a Glock modification device was found not to be what Azor purported.
This apprehension and subsequent plea are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a concerted effort by law enforcement at all levels, dovetailing with community partners, to tackle violent crime and enhance communal safety. Since May 26, 2021, the Justice Department's adapted violent crime reduction strategy has strengthened PsN, weaving the principles of trust-building, violence prevention, targeted enforcement, and efficacy assessment.
A product of collaboration between the Columbus Police Department's Gang Unit and the ATF, the case is under the prosecution purview of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams. Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis voiced his dedication to eradicating the threats of illegal firearms in cooperation with federal entities to ensure that perpetrators face justice, the Justice Department reported.
