North Hollywood Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Selling Firearms, Including ‘Ghost Guns’ and Methamphetamine
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for acting as an unlicensed gun broker by selling 16 rifles and handguns – many without serial numbers – as well as various firearms accessories over a seven-week period, and for selling nearly one pound of methamphetamine, the Justice Department announced today.
Arthur Muradyan, 33, of North Hollywood, was sentenced Thursday afternoon by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin.
Muradyan pleaded guilty on May 5 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
In August 2021 and September 2021, Muradyan sold firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition to an informant working with federal law enforcement. The items sold included machine guns, semi-automatic firearms with large capacity magazines, firearms bearing no legitimate manufacturer’s mark or serial number – commonly referred to as “ghost guns” – and unregistered and unserialized short-barreled rifles.
Muradyan also sold 423.7 grams of methamphetamine to the informant on September 8, 2021, the same day he also sold a semi-automatic 9mm handgun and a machinegun conversion device commonly called a “Glock switch.”
During the final gun sale on September 29, 2021, Muradyan sold an unserialized, short-barreled AR-15-type rifle with a 3D printed machinegun conversion device attached to it, another AR-15-type rifle with an obliterated serial number, a semi-automatic 9mm handgun, and another 9mm pistol with no serial number. On this date, authorities searched his residence and recovered another 23 firearms, magazines, ammunition of various calibers, and firearms component parts and accessories. Muradyan illegally possessed those seized firearms and ammunition because he previously had been convicted of felony burglary offenses in two cases.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, which is spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Attorney’s Office. The Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this matter.
