KENOSHA – The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department announced the completion of their investigation into an illegal “ghost gun” manufacturing and distribution operation involving teenagers, which resulted in seven arrests.
The criminal charges for 17-year-old Jacob Ehlert-Abbott, 18-year-old George Shepherd, and five other 16-year-old boys who have not been identified include Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm), Intentionally Selling Dangerous Weapons to a Child, Possessing Dangerous Weapon (Person under 18), and Carrying a Concealed Weapon.
The Sheriff’s Department said all involved in the case have confessed to manufacturing and distributing firearms.
“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!” Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner said in a press release.
According to the department, on the morning of Wednesday, May 29, Kenosha County Sheriff’s detectives and deputies, as well as multiple area tactical response teams, conducted five search warrants that were located in both Kenosha and Racine Counties. Officers located several firearms, lower firearm frames with no serial numbers, which are commonly known as “ghost guns,” several Dremmel parts kits for making firearms, pistol and rifle magazines, manufactured firearm parts, firearm accessories, and ammunition.
As the investigation continued, the department discovered that these firearms were being sold to high school-aged individuals throughout Kenosha County.
The investigation began on April 2, 2024, when deputies responded to a burglary in Paddock Lake where several firearms were stolen. Next, on May 1, a concerned mother contacted the department and said her son was driving around Kenosha County in a car full of guns. At the same time as that call, numerous citizens called in “shots fired” in the area of Silver Lake.
A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle in question and several stolen firearms were recovered from the burglary in Paddock Lake. Following the traffic stop, two search warrants were conducted in Paddock Lake and Salem Lakes that night where more stolen firearms were recovered, which were all taken in that burglary.
As the investigation continued, the department discovered that these “ghost guns” were being sold to high school-aged individuals throughout Kenosha County.
A preliminary hearing for Shepherd is set for June 14th.
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