In response to illegal gun manufacturing and trafficking in the state of Connecticut, the Connecticut State Police-Firearms Trafficking Task Force initiated an investigation into a suspect believed to be manufacturing and selling illegal firearms of various types.
On April 12, 2022, Steven Gerent-Mastrianni (DOB 11/20/82) of 37 Hillhurst Ave in New Britain was arrested by a court-issued arrest warrant after a ten-month investigation, charging him with the following: C.G.S.: Firearms Trafficking, 53-202aa; Sale of an Assault Weapon, 53-202b (9 counts); Possession of an Assault Weapon, 53-202c; Illegal Transfer of a Long Gun, 29-37a (9 counts); Sale of Large Capacity Magazines, 53-202w (19 counts); Possession of a Machine Gun, 53-202(e); Weapon in a Motor Vehicle, 29-38 (9 counts); and Illegal Transfer of a Manufactured Firearm without a Serial Number “Ghost Gun”, 29-36a(d) (9 counts). Gerent-Mastrianni was a pistol permit holder at the time of his arrest and was found carrying a “ghost” gun pistol on his person at that time. Gerent-Mastrianni was processed and held on a court ordered $500,000 bond.
Following Gerent-Mastrianni’s arrest, search warrants were executed on his residence and several of his vehicles. As a result of the search warrants State Police has seized more than 150 items of evidence including roughly 125 firearms as well as firearm components capable of making firearms fully automatic. These firearms include multiple fully-automatic firearms, semi-automatic firearms, shotguns, pistols, pistols with threaded barrels, hundreds of high capacity magazines, and 30-40 thousand rounds of ammunition. Also seized was a high-tech 3D printer along with pistol lower receivers that appear to be made with the printer. The vast majority of these weapons are considered “ghost guns." As part of the investigation, phones, computers, and flash drives that were in the vicinity of the 3D printer were also seized.
Three homemade explosive devices were also found in the residence. The Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad was on scene and safely disposed of those devices.
This investigation by members of the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Special Investigations is part of a collaborative effort by several law-enforcement agencies, focusing on efforts to reduce illegal firearms on the streets of the State of Connecticut. The following agencies and investigative units assisted the Firearms Trafficking Task Force with this investigation: The Connecticut State Police – Statewide Narcotics Task Force, CSP - Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, CSP - Electronics Surveillance Unit, CSP - Bomb Squad, CSP - Central District Major Crime Squad, New Britain Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.