Convicted Carroll Co. sex offender back in prison for building ghost guns, having methamphetamine

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — A convicted sex offender received a new sentence and time in federal prison after the U.S. Department of Justice says he was found with drugs and ghost guns.

According to the USDOJ, Richard Eric Greeson, 47 of Carroll County, was sentenced to prison time and 10 years of probation after pleading guilty to multiple counts of child molestation involving a six-year-old girl in 2008.

“Greeson threatened the safety of our community by illegally possessing, manufacturing, and selling illegal firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.  “This joint investigative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers helped achieve Greeson’s prosecution and conviction, which makes our community safer.”

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In September 2022, his probation officer learned Greeson was building firearms at his house in Carroll County and when searching Greeson’s truck, his probation officer found firearm trigger components, cleaning parts and ammunition.

The Justice Department said inside the house, members of law enforcement found a firearms workshop in a bedroom and recovered an industrial drill, a jig, and a partially milled firearm. USDOJ also said “The probation officer also found evidence that Greeson had ordered gun parts from vendors on the internet.”

Outside in a wooded area behind Greeson’s home, USDOJ said law enforcement also found a gun case with a “fully assembled, unserialized semiautomatic rifle, a milled out lower AR receiver, more than 400 rounds of ammunition and eight high-capacity magazines” buried in the ground.

Those types of weapons, those made without serial numbers and that are untraceable, are commonly called “ghost guns.”

Greeson was indicted for violating federal firearms laws in December 2023. Two days la ter, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pulled Greeson over for a traffic stop and found him with a bag of methamphetamine, tow glass pipes and a small amount of marijuana and he was arrested again.

In June, Greeson pled guilty to engaging in the business of manufacturing and dealing firearms without a license and possession of methamphetamine, according to justice officials. On Thursday, he was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

“The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is thankful for our strong partnership with the ATF and is proud that our Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) unit played a key role in assisting with the investigation and safely apprehending Mr. Greeson. This collaboration has led to the removal of dangerous drugs and illegal firearms from the streets of Carroll County, helping to make our community safer.”

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