08/31/2026
This story needs nationwide attention. Read more about the New York case below, but everyone should know that in Colorado earlier this year a bi-partisan team of legislators ran HB26-1037 which would have required law enforcement to get a warrant before buying data like this. A bloc of big-government Republicans patted themselves on the back for killing 1037 in committee after the law enforcement lobby warned of "catastrophe" if cops had to get warrants. We supported the Colorado bill and will support it again when it comes back in 2027.
Here's the breakdown of the New York case:
Demetrio Daga, 44, of Albany, was convicted on August 26, 2026, of all 15 felony weapons counts after a jury deliberated for approximately two hours.
There is no allegation that Daga:
• Sold or transferred any of the fi****ms.
• Used a firearm to threaten or injure anyone.
• Was otherwise prohibited from possessing fi****ms.
• Had a prior criminal record.
• Possessed machine guns, silencers or conversion devices.
The case was instead based on possession itself: New York prohibits ordinary residents from manufacturing and possessing unserialized fi****ms. He has now been convicted of
The Times Union out of Albany, NY reported that State Police began examining Daga nearly two years before his initial arrest after receiving information from investigators in the Queens County DA’s Office. A Queens investigator wrote to Albany-area troopers:
“We’ll provide you with a list of 10-20 viable targets…”
The email described bringing Queens’ “ghost gun model” to the Capital Region as a “test run.” Daga was one of the people selected.
It is alleged that eBay, Amazon, PayPal and other companies periodically supply purchase information concerning gun parts and 3D printers to the Department of Homeland Security, which then travels through federal and New York law-enforcement channels.
Full story: https://www.ammoland.com/2026/08/new-york-gun-owner-surveillance-legal-purchases/