Willie Ray Cummings Jr., a Flint man, faces a minimum of five years in prison following his conviction on multiple felony charges linked to the possession of a so-called "ghost gun." The 29-year-old was apprehended after deputies attempted to stop him for riding an unregistered minibike, ultimately leading to a violent encounter. According to CBS News Detroit, the incident unfolded when Genesee County sheriff’s deputies on patrol spotted Cummings and sought to halt him for lacking registration stickers on his ride.
Resisting arrest, Cummings continued on the sidewalk despite the deputies activating their lights and sirens. He was brought to a stop when officials intercepted his path by driving onto the sidewalk. In the course of the encounter, one deputy detected a weapon in Cummings' pocket during a pat-down, leading to an assault on the officer. The Flint man, having jumped on him and assaulted the deputy, was subdued by a Taser from the other deputy at the scene. MLive reports the arrest yielded a non-serialized "Ghost Gun," adding to the gravity of the offense due to its untraceable nature.
The weapon in question, a ghost gun loaded with sixteen 9mm rounds, is part of a broader societal issue, as stressed by Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. "Ghost guns have become a serious problem in recent years with the number of violent crimes involving ghost guns sharply rising nationwide," Leyton said, as per MLive. These firearms, often assembled from kits, lack serial numbers and make it extremely difficult for law enforcement to trace their origins.
Cummings was convicted on eight counts, which, along with carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession, and resisting arrest, involve the possession of ammunition and multiple counts of the second offense for felony firearm. Scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, he is looking at a mandatory minimum sentence that is to be served consecutively to any other sentences he receives on the remaining charges, as indicated by Mid-Michigan Now. Leyton comments on the conviction reflected the ongoing efforts to address the proliferation of ghost guns in the community, noting that its removal from the streets of Flint marks a step in the direction against violent crimes aided by such firearms.
