Missouri Man Busted by Feds for Turning 3D Printer Into Illegal Gun Mod Factory
Kansas City tech wizard turns 3D printer into illegal gun mod factory, flooding streets with machine gun conversion devices. š #News #KansasCityMO #Missouri #Crime
KANSAS CITY, MO – In a case that could make John Wick’s armorer blush, a Missouri man has been charged with turning his 3D printer into an illicit weapons factory. Dalton R. Johnston, 27, now faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and selling hundreds of devices that transform ordinary firearms into machine guns.
From Hobbyist to Arms Dealer: The 3D Revolution Gone Wrong
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri revealed that Johnston has been slapped with three counts of possessing machine guns.
But these aren’t your grandfather’s firearms – we’re talking about 3D-printed conversion devices that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic one with just a few clicks and whirs.
Street Corners to Combat Zones: The ATF’s Nightmare Scenario
Bernard Hansen, who leads the ATF’s Kansas City Field Division as Special Agent in Charge, drew a parallel between this new phenomenon and past concerns about ghost guns. Hansen emphasized the rapidly evolving nature of this tech-driven threat.
The sting operation that nabbed Johnston reads like a scene from a crime thriller. On August 2, 2024, he allegedly sold an undercover ATF agent 10 Glock conversion devices and an AR-type conversion device for a mere $70. But that was just the beginning. Johnston reportedly agreed to manufacture hundreds more devices in subsequent deals, even offering to produce silencers at $20 a pop.
The New Frontier of Illegal Weapons
U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore expressed concern about the dangers posed by these devices. She noted that machine gun conversion devices, often made from small pieces of metal or plastic, can convert regular firearms into fully automatic weapons, which she described as a significant threat to public and law enforcement safety.
As law enforcement grapples with this new challenge, one thing is clear: the intersection of technology and firearms continues to push the boundaries of both innovation and regulation.
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