4 Accused Of Selling Ghost Guns, Firearms Trafficking In Ocean County

TRENTON, NJ ? Four Ocean County men are accused of trafficking in firearms, including so-called "ghost guns," U.S. Attorney Phillip Sellinger announced.

James Hyres, 38, and Edward W. Trost, 36, both of Toms River; Dennis McMickle, 35, of Brick, and James Opalenik, 51, of Ocean Gate, are charged with conspiracy to traffic in firearms and trafficking in firearms, Sellinger said.

Hyres and McMickle are also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, authorities said. McMickle and Opalenik are also charged with one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, authorities said.

Hyres and Opalenik were arrested Monday in Ocean County, the U.S. Attorney's office said. McMickle was arrested May 20 in Monmouth County on unrelated charges and is being held in the Monmouth County jail, and Trost has been in the Ocean County jail since July 7 on unrelated charges.

Authorities say the charges stem from an investigation that found in April 2024 and May 2024, Hyres, McMickle, Opalenik, and Trost were members of a gun trafficking conspiracy that operated in and around Ocean County.

During that time, Hyres manufactured privately made firearms, also known as PMFs or ?ghost guns,? for resale using various component parts, including firearm frames manufactured by Hyres using a 3D printer, authorities said.

Hyres, assisted by McMickle and Trost, then sold the ghost guns and other traditional firearms for profit to others, including a confidential source working at the direction and supervision of the FBI, authorities said.

Opalenik, assisted by McMickle, sold a semi-automatic rifle to the confidential source in furtherance of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. McMickle also sold the confidential source a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in January 2024, authorities said.

The investigation showed none of the four men held a federal license to deal or manufacture firearms, authorities said, and Hyres, McMickle, and Trost each have prior felony convictions and are prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

Opalenik was scheduled for his first appearance in federal court on Monday and Hyres was scheduled for a first appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton.

The counts of conspiracy to traffic in firearms, trafficking in firearms, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon each carry a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents with the FBI Newark Red Bank Jersey Shore Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests. He also thanked the Ocean County Sheriff?s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, the Lakewood Police Department, and the Toms River Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.