An Upper East Side dad was indicted this week for allegedly building 14 ghost guns in his apartment – and shockingly using his 7-year-old son as a “prop” to show off part of his stash, prosecutors said.
The indictment against Cory Davis, 41, was unsealed Monday, weeks after he sent a photo of his young son holding two of the weapons to a group chat with family and friends on Nov. 7, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
The photo alarmed one of the recipients, who notified the NYPD, and sent them the snap, prosecutors said.
Cops tracked Davis down at a separate apartment he used as an office, where they spotted two guns and ammunition on the ground, prosecutors said.
NYPD officers returned on Nov. 8 and searched Davis’ apartment, where they found 12 more guns, including 10 semi-automatic pistols and two assault weapon-style pistols, according to the DA’s Office.
Davis’ illicit stash included 400 rounds of ammunition, a high-capacity magazine and nearly two dozen other magazines, prosecutors said.
Investigators also found tools and parts used to manufacture the weapons.
Authorities swept Davis’ online purchasing history – revealing that he had been buying gun parts and accessories from multiple websites since June 2020, prosecutors said. His purchases allegedly included training tools, simulators, and concealable holsters.
Davis was indicted on charges of first, second and third-degree weapon possession, in addition to 14 counts of criminal possession of a firearm, prosecutors said.
“The allegations make it evident that by manufacturing these weapons, Davis put not only the public, but a child in serious peril,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“Using one’s child as a prop to showcase homemade, illegal weapons is inexcusable and extremely dangerous. The proliferation of ghost guns in our city cannot continue.”
The number of ghost guns recovered in New York City so far in 2022 has surged 75% compared to last year, shattering all previous records, a recent Post report found.
The untraceable weapons — which don’t have serial numbers and are often either 3-D printed or shipped in parts that require assembly — have been used in at least two murders this year.
Bragg’s office touted its partnership with the NYPD on the “Ghost Guns Initiative,” launched in 2020.
Since then, the initiative has prosecuted cases involving the seizure of more than 80 ghost gun parts, 42 fully assembled ghost guns, 24 serialized firearms, 421 high-capacity magazines, 45 silencers, and other gear including scopes and rapid-fire modification devices, according to officials.
“Stopping the proliferation of ghost guns is integral to the NYPD’s comprehensive strategy to keep these illegal weapons from harming our communities,” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a statement.
“These untraceable weapons shoot real bullets, hurt real New Yorkers, and cause real harm – and our fight against them will continue with vigor. I want to thank our NYPD detectives for working so swiftly and effectively with our partners in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office on this important case.”
