BALTIMORE (Feb. 21, 2024) — Today, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced that Baltimore City has settled its lawsuit against the nation’s largest ghost gun manufacturer, Polymer80, Inc. The settlement permanently bans Polymer80 from selling ghost gun kits in Maryland, prohibits Polymer80 from advertising ghost guns in Maryland, and requires Polymer80 dealers in neighboring states to refuse ghost gun sales to Maryland residents. Polymer80 must also pay $1.2 million as part of the settlement.
“This landmark settlement holds Polymer80 accountable for its role in creating the ghost gun crisis in Baltimore and, most importantly, creates much-needed safeguards to halt the flow of ghost guns into Baltimore for years to come,” said James Hannaway, Senior Litigation Counsel with Sanford Heisler Sharp.
As part of the settlement, Polymer80 will be subject to a permanent injunction. Polymer80 will be:
- Prohibited from shipping or selling ghost gun kits into Maryland
- Required to execute contracts with its distributors and retailers that will prohibit them from selling ghost gun kits to Maryland customers
- Required to prominently post on its website that it is illegal to buy ghost gun kits in Maryland
- Required to execute contracts with its distributors and retailers in surrounding states, requiring them to refuse sales of ghost gun kits to customers based in Maryland
- Prohibited from promoting ghost gun kits at gun shows in Maryland
- Prohibited from advertising Polymer80’s website or social media accounts in Maryland or engaging in other search-engine optimization efforts targeting Maryland residents
- Prohibited from providing customer service for ghost gun kits to Maryland residents
“This is a victory for the City of Baltimore and the fight for gun industry accountability,” said Brady Senior Litigation Counsel, Philip Bangle. “Polymer80 fueled gun violence in the city by selling ghost guns to subvert lifesaving Brady background checks. A growing number of Americans are pushing back and seeking to eradicate these unserialized, untraceable firearms from flooding our communities. This settlement will staunch the flow of these weapons and will force Polymer80 to contribute to healing the City of Baltimore for the injuries and trauma their products inflicted on the city.”
More details regarding the settlement can be found at: https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2024-02-21-city-baltimore-reaches-settlement-polymer80
Baltimore City is represented by Sara Gross and Tom Webb with the Affirmative Litigation Division of the Baltimore City Department of Law, Shira Feldman, Jenna Tersteegen, and Philip Bangle with the Brady Campaign, and Brent Hannafan, James Hannaway, Albert Powell, and Paul-Winston Cange with Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP.