Two brothers convicted of running ghost gun factory that produced untraceable 3D printed firearms — used 3D printers to build gun frames while associates purchased other parts on eBay

Brandon and Justin Nudelman, both from Staten Island, New York, are due to be sentenced after being convicted of running an illegal operation selling untraceable 3D printed firearms, also known as ghost guns. According to SILive.com, the duo’s operation started out as an idea around a pool table and eventually turned into a full-blown interstate operation, complete with sports cars and houses featuring secret rooms and compartments.

According to the testimony of Ronnie Mershon, one of the Nudelman brothers’ online business associates, they first learned about 3D printing weapons online. These resources are easily accessible on the internet, which is why California is suing a website hosting 3D printed gun files, as well as another one that posts guides and instructions on how to use them. The group focused on 3D printing gun frames, which legitimate weapon manufacturers serialize to make the firearm easier to trace in case they’re involved in a crime.

However, a 3D printed gun frame is not enough to build a complete ghost gun. You still need other parts, like barrels, slides, magazines, and springs. Mershon said during the trial that another associate the group met online, Michael Daddea, helped them purchase these parts on eBay, allowing them to complete the firearm and sell it online. He also helped with the sale and transfer of these weapons, which buyers called “pole, thang, piece, or stick.” Aside from selling ghost guns, the group also 3D printed and sold conversion kits dubbed “Nintendo”, which added a switch allowing weapon owners to turn a semi-automatic gun into a fully automatic firearm.

Despite being run by a small group of people, this wasn’t a simple operation run out of the basement of somebody’s house. The group stored the manufactured guns in a mobile home in Pennsylvania to avoid scrutiny, while Brandon Nudelman had a hidden compartment in his Lamborghini where he kept a handgun. That storage space only opens after a specific button sequence and putting a special pen in a cup holder. Aside from that, there were also several secret compartments in Nudelman’s house which Mershon only saw after Brandon’s arrest.

Law enforcement and authorities are having issues with ghost guns, with their use skyrocketing in recent years. One high profile case included the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in late 2024, with the alleged perpetrator using an untraceable 3D printed firearm. This has led to multiple attempts by several states to crackdown on 3D printers’ ability to print just about anything, including firearms, with New York, Washington, California, and Colorado introducing legislation to address the issue.

Unfortunately, most of these laws are draconian and many 3D printing enthusiasts are concerned that these will limit their creative freedom while not really being effective at addressing the issue at heart. In fact, we’ve seen a tech enthusiast create a shoulder-mounted guided missile launcher using a 3D printer and readily available electronics, with the entire build costing just $96. Researchers are also taking steps to help identify ghost guns, with one team looking to embed digital fingerprints into 3D printed parts and another group attempting to link ghost guns to specific filament brands via chemical fingerprinting. However, these are still in the research phase, and it will take time for them to be implemented if they’re viable.

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