A man from Lizella, Georgia, pleaded guilty to various gun charges after posting videos of him using 3D-printed machine guns and silencers on social media.
“3-D printed machineguns and silencers pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities by increasing the access of illegally manufactured rapid-fire weapons to potentially dangerous individuals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “I applaud our local and federal law enforcement partners for shutting down this clandestine machinegun manufacturing operation.”
Making and using 3D-printed suppressors is not illegal. After submitting a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 1, paying a $200 fee, passing a background check, and receiving a tax stamp, any American in a state where silencers are allowed can make a suppressor. A metal plate with a serial number must also be affixed to the device’s tube.
Twenty-year-old Jaden Michael-William Pope was arrested for printing machine guns and suppressors on four 3D printers in his bedroom. Authorities didn’t say if all the guns were machine guns or machine gun conversion devices such as a Yankee Boogle. However, at least one device was a Glock switch, which converted a Glock pistol from a semiautomatic firearm to a fully automatic gun.
Under the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA), any device that converts a gun into a machine gun is considered a machine gun itself. These devices include drop-in auto-sears, Glock switches, and swift links. So, it is possible that Pope could have been printing only conversion devices since the charges would be the same.
Police were tipped off about the technical college student’s activities by a confidential informant who saw videos of the 3D-printed firearms. Pope also posted videos and pictures of the devices on his Facebook page, which was used as evidence against him. Police were already investigating the man for stealing firearms out of parked cars. Police viewed the videos and contacted the ATF. The Bureau examined the evidence and determined it had enough to move forward with an arrest. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia secured an arrest and search warrant for the man and his home.
During the search, law enforcement agents discovered a phone with more pictures and videos of the man creating and using these devices; in addition to the photographs, they also found two machine guns, including a Glock switch, nine 3D-printed silencers, and a short-barreled rifle. None of these items were properly registered with the ATF’s NFA division. The authorities also confiscated four 3D printers and three computers. Mr. Pope also had a stolen .45 caliber pistol that was recovered from his home. No make or model for the gun was released.
The computer contained gun CAD files that Pope used to create the firearms. Federal authorities also found screenshots of AR-15 auto-sears from the file hosting site Yeggi. Police also found a USB drive that was used as a hidden container that the man used to hide methamphetamine.
After his arrest, the man confessed to making and using the firearms. Pope is facing a maximum sentence of 130 years in prison and over $3.2 million in fines for the NFA violations, plus additional time for the stolen handgun and the drugs. He is not expected to see anything close to the maximum amount of time behind bars or the maximum fine. He will be sentenced on May 13, 2025.
Can’t Stop the Files: Media’s War on 3D-Printed Firearms Exposed
FGC-9 and 3D-Printed Firearms are In Use in Myanmar Conflict | VIDEO
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
