Cranston Man Convicted Under New RI 'Ghost Gun' Law

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Cranston man was sentenced to four years in prison under the state's new law banning untraceable "ghost guns." Maliek Smith, 24, was also convicted of possessing Oxycodone with intent to distribute.

Smith pleaded no contest to one count each of possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a pistol without a license, Attorney General Peter Neronha's office said. The gun did not have a serial number, making it untraceable, according to Neronha's office.

"It is relatively common, frankly, for my office to prosecute defendants involved in the distribution of narcotics who use illegal firearms," Neronha said. "What stands out in this case, however, is that the firearm used by the defendant was intentionally assembled to have no form of identification or serial number – otherwise known as a ‘ghost gun’."

Untraceable "ghost guns" have been illegal in Rhode Island since June, when then-Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the bill into law. It prohibits guns without serial numbers, including a gun assembled piecemeal so as to be untraceable or 3D printed guns.

"Just last year, the state legislature passed a law to ban possession of ghost guns because of the danger they pose to our communities, since they are sought out by those who are otherwise prohibited from purchasing a firearm legally," Neronha continued. "I commend the Cranston Police Department for their solid work in taking a ghost gun out of their community."

Smith was arrested in October 2020, after Cranston police were tipped off on social media that he had a handgun. Based on Smith's posts, officers found him in a vehicle on Howard Street. Police seized a loaded, Glock-style 9mm handgun without a serial number, 18 rounds of ammunition and 18 Oxycodone pills.

"Untraceable firearms, referred to as ‘ghost guns,’ have become the weapon of choice for individuals involved in drug dealing and other criminal activity," said Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist. "These guns pose a serious threat to public safety. I commend the officers and dispatcher from the Cranston Police Department who worked on the investigation and safely apprehended the armed suspect. I also wish to thank the legislators who passed the law to address these dangerous weapons and the prosecutors who secured a conviction and a sentence of incarceration."