New Jersey sues California company over ‘ghost guns’

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s attorney general has sued a California company that sells gun parts that can be turned into working firearms.

The suit announced Friday alleges U.S. Patriot Armory violated New Jersey’s consumer fraud laws when it advertised and sold gun parts to an undercover investigator last month.

The investigator bought parts for an AR-15 assault rifle.

Last year, New Jersey banned the purchase of gun parts for use in making firearms with no serial numbers, called “ghost guns.” It’s also a crime to possess an unregistered assault firearm in the state.

The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and to stop the company from shipping parts to New Jersey.

The company is based in Apple Valley, about 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles. A phone message left Friday wasn’t immediately returned.