Lawrence Michael DeStefano, the principled owner of Indie Guns, has been yanked from Florida and flown to the iron grip of New York City, where he’s staring down 71 felony charges that could bury him under a 521-year prison sentence. His crime? Selling perfectly legal gun parts kits—80% lowers and the like—that any hobbyist could assemble into a functional firearm. This isn’t some black-market arms bazaar; it’s the kind of everyday commerce that’s been the lifeblood of America’s DIY gun culture for decades. DeStefano’s real defiance shines through in his flat-out refusal to cough up customer data to New York AG Letitia James, a woman who’s made no secret of her crusade against the Second Amendment. In a move straight out of a dystopian novel, James is weaponizing New York’s draconian laws to hunt down law-abiding buyers, turning a simple parts business into a felony factory.
Dig deeper, and this reeks of selective prosecution on steroids. New York has morphed ghost guns—homebuilt firearms with no serial numbers—into public enemy number one, even as violent crime surges in their streets. DeStefano’s kits were compliant with federal law, shipped to states where they’re explicitly legal, yet James dragged him across state lines via extradition, echoing the ATF’s own overreach with pistol braces and forced serialization. This isn’t justice; it’s a blatant end-run around the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, which demanded gun laws respect historical traditions. By refusing to snitch on his customers, DeStefano draws a line in the sand, protecting the privacy of thousands who’ve exercised their God-given right to build and bear arms without Big Brother’s watchful eye.
For the 2A community, this is a five-alarm fire. If DeStefano crumbles under 521 years of threats, expect a domino effect: every online parts seller, every FFL with an 80% lower in stock, every enthusiast milling their own receiver could be next. It’s a chilling reminder that blue-state attorneys general are playing prosecutor, judge, and jury, eroding the individual right to keep and bear arms one extradition at a time. Rally behind Indie Guns—fund his defense, amplify his story, and gear up for the legal battles ahead. The right to self-defense isn’t negotiable, and neither is DeStefano’s stand. Stay vigilant, patriots; this fight is ours.
