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An investigation into a string of graffiti incidents culminated with Portland Police busting a ghost gun workshop operated by one of the taggers. Jacob Ramos, 43, was arrested and hit with a slew of charges, including eleven counts of manufacturing firearms. His tagging partner, 26-year-old Shelaleh Rostami, was also charged, but only for the graffiti.
The investigation, launched by Mayor Ted Wheeler, sought to track down those responsible for defacing the city's infrastructure. Authorities were able to identify Rostami via her tag, "THUJA," and connect her to Ramos, "BIER," and carry out search warrants on both their residences, according to the Willamette Week.
According to the Portland Police, while the investigation into graffiti artists began in 2021, it was only over the past few months that they zeroed in on "chronic offenders" THUJA and BIER. The pair's tags were spotted all over the city, including on art murals downtown and in the Central Eastside Industrial District.
As the Willamette Week reports, police discovered an Instagram account that portrayed the THUJA tag, and were able to use it to link the graffiti to Rostami. A digital footprint provided by Meta revealed that the posts were coming from a home in nearby Beaverton.
In January, authorities executed a search warrant on the home, and found numerous graffiti-related items. A look through her phone led them to identify Ramos as BIER.
Police soon obtained a search warrant for his home in East Portland, and carried it out. They discovered graffiti equipment, as well as seventeen illegally possessed guns and body armor. As a convicted felon, Ramos was prohibited from owning any firearms.
Perhaps most striking was the discovery of a "gun manufacturing workshop" which consisted of a "3D printer, specialized jigs, power tools, raw components and scrap materials that were used to print and mill several of the functioning, non-serialized, polymer and metal firearms." One of Ramos' guns was a non-serialized short barrel AR-15 style rifle.
Ramos was subsequently charged with eleven counts of manufacturing a firearm, being in possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of a short barrel rifle, ten counts of criminal mischief in the first degree, and fifty counts of criminal mischief in the second degree.
Ghost guns, such as those that are 3D printed, have become a growing issue in the United States, as they are not trackable by authorities.
The investigation, launched by Mayor Ted Wheeler, sought to track down those responsible for defacing the city's infrastructure. Authorities were able to identify Rostami via her tag, "THUJA," and connect her to Ramos, "BIER," and carry out search warrants on both their residences, according to the Willamette Week.
According to the Portland Police, while the investigation into graffiti artists began in 2021, it was only over the past few months that they zeroed in on "chronic offenders" THUJA and BIER. The pair's tags were spotted all over the city, including on art murals downtown and in the Central Eastside Industrial District.
As the Willamette Week reports, police discovered an Instagram account that portrayed the THUJA tag, and were able to use it to link the graffiti to Rostami. A digital footprint provided by Meta revealed that the posts were coming from a home in nearby Beaverton.
In January, authorities executed a search warrant on the home, and found numerous graffiti-related items. A look through her phone led them to identify Ramos as BIER.
Police soon obtained a search warrant for his home in East Portland, and carried it out. They discovered graffiti equipment, as well as seventeen illegally possessed guns and body armor. As a convicted felon, Ramos was prohibited from owning any firearms.
Perhaps most striking was the discovery of a "gun manufacturing workshop" which consisted of a "3D printer, specialized jigs, power tools, raw components and scrap materials that were used to print and mill several of the functioning, non-serialized, polymer and metal firearms." One of Ramos' guns was a non-serialized short barrel AR-15 style rifle.
Ramos was subsequently charged with eleven counts of manufacturing a firearm, being in possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of a short barrel rifle, ten counts of criminal mischief in the first degree, and fifty counts of criminal mischief in the second degree.
Ghost guns, such as those that are 3D printed, have become a growing issue in the United States, as they are not trackable by authorities.
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