Former cop pleads guilty to gun charges
Zahradnik enters plea for 7 federal counts
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From Mirror staff reports
A former Altoona police detective has pleaded guilty to seven federal charges related to manufacturing, selling and possessing ghost guns.
Craig Zahradnik, 51, of Altoona, entered the pleas in U.S. District Court in Johnstown on Monday and was ordered detained pending his sentencing set for April 10.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines declared Zahradnik a danger to the community.
Online federal court documents show Zahradnik pleaded guilty to seven of the nine counts in the indictment.
In September, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced the indictment of Zahradnik, Harry Miller of Martinsburg and Wayne Farabaugh of Portage with conspiring with each other, and with persons yet unknown, to engage in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license, according to a prior Mirror story.
Miller had pleaded guilty to seven counts on Oct. 23.
The indictment said "from in and around May 2022, and continuing ... until or about April 27, 2023, Craig Zahradnik provided U.S. currency to Harry Miller to purchase ammunition and components used to manufacture and outfit personally made firearms."
They made purchases of components used to manufacture and outfit the guns that included Polymer 80 frame parts kits, AR-15 build kits, upper and lower receivers, triggers, threaded barrels, magazines and silencers, the indictment stated.
Miller and Farabaugh, it was noted, used a drill press, routers and other tools to assemble and manufacture silencers and the firearms, that included handguns, triggers, threaded barrels and silencers.
The items did not contain serial numbers.
Miller was charged with selling and transferring ammunition and firearms including two Polymer 80 handguns, 9 mm, and two black silencers on Feb. 25.
He was also charged with various sales on March 8 and March 22, 2023.
On the March dates, he gave Zahradnik part of the money from the sales, the charges stated.
Count two of the indictment charges Zahradnik and Miller of manufacturing and dealing in firearms.
Count three indicates that on March 21 and March 22, Zahradnik transferred a rifle and three Polymer 80 handguns to Miller, who intended to sell the items.
In count six, Miller and Zahradnik were charged with the illegal possession of a machine gun.
Count seven related that the two from May 2022 to April 17, 2023, transferred firearms to others, knowing their acts would constitute a felony. Count eight states Miller and Zahradnik engaged in manufacturing and dealing in firearms without paying a special occupational tax required by U.S. law.
In count nine, Miller and Zahradnik transferred rifles, silencers and a machine gun conversion device knowing the items were not in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The plea calls for forfeitures of multiple firearms and components seized in raids.