RI Man Detained After 6 Ghost Guns, 3 Silencers, and 1,500 Rounds of Ammunition Seized

RI Man Detained After 6 Ghost Guns, 3 Silencers, and 1,500 Rounds of Ammunition Seized

A West Greenwich man, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition, was detained in federal custody after federal agents allegedly seized six “ghost guns,” three silencers, and more than one thousand rounds of ammunition from his home, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

About Case

It is alleged in court documents that in July, the United States Postal Inspection Service identified the residence of Walter Garbecki, 37, as being associated with at least seven purchases and deliveries of kits and firearm parts used to assemble “ghost guns,” firearms without serial numbers and other manufacturer or importer markings, rendering them difficult to trace by law enforcement officials. 

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Additionally, it is alleged, Garbecki placed and received at least seven orders for various types of ammunition.

On September 20, 2022, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed a court-authorized search of Garbecki’s residence and seized four fully functioning ghost guns and two in various stage of assembly, three silencers, approximately 1,500 rounds of ammunition, and various parts and kits used to assemble “ghost guns.”

According to court records, Garbecki, was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on charges of sale or possession of silencers; unlawful devices attached to a semi-automatic weapon allowing automatic fire; possession of a firearm while delivering or manufacturing a controlled substance; and drug trafficking. He was released from the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions in September 2020 and is currently on state probation until September 2030.

Garbecki is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession of firearms/ammunition by a felon and receive/possession of firearm silencers not registered. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.