Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. today announced the guilty plea of CORY DAVIS, 42, for manufacturing and possessing ghost guns, including two loaded and operational firearms, in his Upper East Side apartment. DAVIS pleaded guilty to three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in New York State Supreme Court. Under the terms of the plea, DAVIS will be sentenced to 3 ½ years in state prison followed by 2 ½ years of post-release supervision. He is expected to be sentenced on February 21, 2024.
“Today Cory Davis accepted responsibility for manufacturing and possessing firearms,” said District Attorney Bragg. “These weapons are extremely dangerous and had the potential to harm our communities had they fallen into the wrong hands. The proliferation of ghost guns is a serious problem and our prosecutors are thoroughly investigating and bringing forth illegal firearms cases in the interest of public safety.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on November 7, 2022, DAVIS sent a picture of his 7-year-old son holding two ghost guns to a group chat with family and friends. The image alarmed an individual in the group chat, who out of concern, alerted the NYPD and sent them the photograph. When officers found DAVIS in a separate apartment he used as an office, they found two guns and ammunition on the ground.
As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, on November 8, NYPD officers executed a court-authorized search warrant on DAVIS’ apartment and recovered an additional twelve firearms, including ten semi-automatic pistols and two assault weapon style pistols.
In addition to the 14 firearms, investigators recovered 400 rounds of ammunition, a high-capacity magazine, and nearly two dozen other magazines, as well as tools and parts for constructing ghost guns.
DAVIS has been purchasing gun parts and accessories from several different websites since June of 2020. His online purchasing history included training tools, simulators, and concealable holsters.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the NYPD and other state and federal law enforcement partners, established the Ghost Guns Initiative in 2020 to address the proliferation of ghost guns in New York City. To date, the Ghost Guns Initiative has prosecuted cases involving the seizure of over 104 ghost gun parts, 90 firearms, 442 high-capacity magazines, 47 silencers, and other gear including scopes and rapid-fire modification devices.
Assistant D.A. Tyler Keefe of the Rackets Bureau (formerly Trial Bureau 30) is handling the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Erin Tierney (TB 30 Chief) and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Trial Division Chief). Stu Silberg (former TB 30 Deputy Chief) and Shira Arnow (former TB 30 Deputy Chief) also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant D.A. Bonnie Seok of the Rackets Bureau, overseeing the Ghost Guns Initiative, is assisting with the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Mike Ohm (Rackets Bureau Deputy Chief), Judy Salwen (Rackets Bureau Principal Deputy Chief), and Jodie Kane (Rackets Bureau Chief), and Executive Assistant D.A.s Christopher Conroy (Senior Advisor to the Investigation Division) and Susan Hoffinger (Investigation Division Chief).
D.A. Bragg thanked the following members of the NYPD’s 19th Precinct: Police Officer Weiling Chen, Sergeant Daniel Cody, Police Officer Omar Ibrahim, and Sergeant Elias Blunt. D.A. Bragg also thanked the following members of the NYPD’s Major Case Field Intelligence Team: Detectives John Shultz, John Uske, Michael Billotto, Victor Cardona, and Christopher Thomas, under the supervision of Sergeant Bogdan Tabor, Captain Christian Jara, and Inspector Courtney Nilan.
Defendant Information:
CORY DAVIS
New York, NY
Convicted:
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, three counts
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