BALTIMORE — Baltimore City says it has settled a lawsuit against a local gun dealer over their alleged selling of ghost guns, which they blame for increased street violence.
Back in June of 2022 the City sued Hanover Armory accusing them of regularly selling unserialized gun kits without determining whether its customers are prohibited from owning a firearm.
MORE: City lawsuit accuses Polymer80 of "flooding" streets with untraceable firearms
Last August the City won $62 million at trial, but Hanover appealed which was still pending.
On Monday the City announced that Hanover agreed to fork over $2 million to settle. That money, the City says, will go towards gun violence prevention programs that the Trump Administration reportedly defunded last year.
As part of the agreement, Hanover will notify the City whenever someone prohibited attempts to buy a firearm at their store, or tries making a straw purchase.
Per the City, Hanover also committed to not sell any unserialized gun kits, mechanical conversion devices such as Glock switches, or forced reset triggers, both of which have been the subjects of prior legal action.
Additionally, the City will be able to obtain Hanover's annual sales reports.
The original lawsuit stemmed from similar litigation against national gun manufacturer, Polymer80, Inc., which alleged the same offenses.
That case was settled for $1.2 million back in February 2024.
Since then, the City claims to have seen a "dramatic reduction in ghost gun recoveries."
It should be noted that in Maryland it's already illegal to buy, sell or transfer an unfinished firearm frame or receiver without a serial number.
