Teenager pleads guilty after investigators uncover cache of illegally possessed weapons
An 18-year-old man has pleaded guilty to owning a machine gun after an investigation at a St. Paul home in March recovered a cache of illegally possessed weapons, including a ghost gun.
The teenager was 17 years old when Ramsey County authorities found the "ghost guns, automatic machine guns, multiple extended magazines and enough ammunitions for multiple drive-by shootings."
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a "ghost gun" refers to a firearm that has been assembled or completed by someone other than a licensed manufacturer. They do not have a serial number, which often makes them difficult to track.
The teenager was charged with 12 felony counts all relating to the cache of weapons investigators found during their search. He pleaded guilty Friday in juvenile court to one count of owning a machine gun.
He was placed on electronic home monitoring and house arrest. His sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Court records show that he was previously charged in a 2024 incident where he was alleged to have pulled a gun on someone at a rec center in St. Paul, though the charge was dismissed from the record after he served 180 days probation and a term of community service.
Note: The above video first aired on April 2, 2025.
