Los Angeles man admits selling ghost guns, 17 pounds of meth

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 27-year-old Los Angeles man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for selling 17 pounds (7.7 kilos) of methamphetamine and 89 firearms, including dozens of untraceable “ghost guns,” prosecutors said.

Julio Ernesto Lopez-Menendez could face life in prison when he’s sentenced May 26, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He entered guilty pleas on Friday to one count of distribution of meth and one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, the statement said. He’s been in federal custody since his arrest last April.

In one deal in January 2022, Lopez-Menendez sold a buyer a dozen firearms, including 10 semi-automatic pistols that were ghost guns lacking serial numbers, prosecutors said.

In another transaction a month later, he sold the same buyer 14 more guns and a pound (.45 kilos) of meth, according to the statement.