Three Men from Hatfield, Lansdale Accused of Manufacturing and Trafficking Ghost Guns and Silencers

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

Tony Ho, 32, of Hatfield, left, Rithga Ngoy, 36, of Hatfield, center, and Michael Nguyen, 32, right.

Two men from Hatfield and one man from Lansdale are facing myriad felony weapons charges after authorities alleged they were members of a gun trafficking organization involving ghost guns and silencers.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation began in May when U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted firearm suppressor component parts from China at JFK International Airport in New York. The parts were being shipped to the address of 32-year-old Tony Ho in Hatfield Township, and Ho is prohibited from possessing a firearm, including suppressors, police said.

Homeland Security investigators contacted the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and Hatfield Township Police in early July, and together they spoke with Ho at his residence and later obtained a search warrant for his residence and a workshop in his shed where he was allegedly manufacturing firearms, investigators said. The search uncovered all necessary tools to manufacture firearms along with numerous AR-15 parts, handgun parts, tactical components including grips, mounted lights, and sights, as well as a 3D printer and ammunition, according to the district attorney’s office.

Investigators said they also located numerous videos and photos of completed firearms on Ho’s cell phone, as well as communications between Ho and 36-year-old Rithga Ngoy, of Hatfield, and 32-year-old Michael Nguyen, of Lansdale, regarding the availability and sales of firearms manufactured by Ho and the attempted illegal purchase of a firearm from a gun store by Nguyen.

An image of Tony Ho, 32, of Hatfield, posing with a rifle with a silencer, which was allegedly recovered from Ho's cell phone, police said. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)

In total, the communications uncovered from Ho’s cell phone identified at least 15 illegal firearm sales dating back to March 2020, authorities said.

Prior to speaking with law enforcement, investigators said Ho asked Ngoy to take his firearms so they would not be at his home if it was searched. Police said Ngoy later turned in the firearms components and 15 functioning firearms that he was holding for Ho to the Hatfield Township Police Department – 14 of which were either privately made or ghost guns.

"The items found at Ho’s residence, the photos of numerous privately made firearms taken at his residence and the quantity of firearms parts that Ho bought online clearly show that he was manufacturing a significant number of privately made firearms and silencers on site,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. "The true extent of his firearms manufacturing business—as well as the extent of the criminal activities those firearms were then used in—may never be known, especially since privately made firearms have no serial numbers. These ghost guns are a great danger to the safety of our communities.”

Weapons and firearm components recovered via the investigation, according to police. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)

As a result of the investigation, the following charges have been filed against Ho, Ngoy, and Nguyen:

Ho has been charged with corrupt organization, conspiracy, person not to possess a firearm, illegal firearms sales, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, materially false statements, statement under penalty, criminal use of a communications facility, make/repair/sell offensive weapons and other firearms charges.
Ngoy has been charged with corrupt organization, conspiracy, illegal firearms sales, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, and criminal use of a communications facility and other firearms charges.
Nguyen has been charged with corrupt organization, conspiracy, illegal firearms sales, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, and criminal use of a communications facility and other firearms charges.

Ho and Ngoy were arrested and arraigned Aug. 28 before Magisterial District Judge Michael P. Quinn, who set bail at $250,000 cash for each defendant. Nguyen turned himself in to police and was arraigned Aug. 28 before Judge Quinn, who set bail at 10% of $75,000.

As a condition of bail, each defendant also had to surrender their passport and could not possess a firearm. The defendants were unable to make bail and were remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility

A preliminary hearing for all three defendants is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 13 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Samantha Arena.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using police reports, court records and the affidavit of probable cause.