Baltimore settles lawsuit with Polymer80, manufacturer of ghost guns

By Greg Ng

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Baltimore City settled a lawsuit with the nation’s largest manufacturer of ghost guns.

The mayor’s office released a statement Wednesday morning stating that the city reached a $1.2 million settlement over its 2022 lawsuit against Polymer80 that accused the company of marketing “build your own” gun kits to minors, criminals, gun traffickers and others who need to circumvent background checks.

The city said the settlement will prohibit the company from advertising and selling ghost guns, which are untraceable firearms, in Maryland. And, the settlement bans dealers in nearby states from selling ghost guns to Maryland residents and the company must cease all customer support in Maryland.

Additionally, as part of the settlement, Polymer80 will be subject to a permanent injunction, as it 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 Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott cited ghost guns as contributing to a surge in violence. According to the mayor’s office, Baltimore police seized 462 ghost guns in 2023. BPD has already seized 43 ghost guns to date this year — an increase of 30% compared to this time last year.

“We know that nine out of 10 homicides in Baltimore City are committed with guns, and the prevalence of ghost guns has been one of the most significant issues in Baltimore,” Scott said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “I’ve made the commitment that Baltimore is using every single tool at our disposal to address the epidemic of gun violence that we face. And, I’ve made the commitment that we will hold everyone who has a hand in violence accountable.”

The mayor’s office said this settlement accounts for “the most expansive and strictest injunctive terms” so far of any of the ghost gun lawsuits filed by other jurisdictions across the country.

“This settlement – and the statement it sends about the harmful impact of these ghost guns – is a critical victory for the effort to confront gun violence in our communities,” Scott said in a statement.

“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, which was co-counsel in representing the city.

The lawsuit alleged Polymer80 sold “do it yourself” gun-assembly kits and completion kits at Hanover Armory in Maryland. The city’s lawsuit against Hanover Armory continues and is currently scheduled for trial in October.

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