‘Ghost gun’ ring spurs charges for 3

Former city officer Zahradnik accused with Miller, Farabaugh

The U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania has filed charges against three area men, including a former Altoona police officer, charging them with conspiring to assemble and sell unlicensed firearms, including handguns, rifles and a machine gun without serial numbers.

Details of the nine-count indictment were made public this week against former city police officer Craig Zahradnik, 51, Harry Miller, 47, of Martinsburg, and Wayne Farabaugh, 48, of Portage.

They were charged by U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon of conspiring with each other, and with persons yet unknown, to engage in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license.

The suspects, court documents stated, "would assemble and manufacture unserialized, personally made firearms without a federal license to do so." Because of the lack of serial numbers, the weapons are considered ghost guns.

Miller, it is charged, would sell the firearms and would pay part of the proceeds to Zahradnik, who, the indictment stated, financed the operation.

The charges stated, "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.

Count four charged Miller with possession of a firearm prohibited due to a prior conviction in the Blair County Court.

In Count five and 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.

The last count concluded Miller and Zahradnik transferred riles, silencers and a machine gun conversion device knowing the items were not in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

The indictment also seeks forfeitures of more than 70 items found during searches: on Feb. 25 at 3312 Pleasant Valley Blvd.; March 22, at state game lands 166; April 27 at 816 Green Ave.; April 17 at 504 56th St.; April 27 from Piedmont Drive, Duncansville; April 27, from a white Ram truck, and April; 27, from a U-Haul Storage unit on Golf Drive, Altoona.

A spokeswoman for The U.S. Attorney's office in Pittsburgh stated the office was not releasing information about the ongoing investigation until a later date.