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Gun Shop Owner Admits To Selling/Owning Illegal Firearms - Including Homemade Machinegun

The co-owner of a local gun shop has admitted to owning and/or selling illegal machineguns and other banned firearms.

An example of a Glock 17 pistol

An example of a Glock 17 pistol

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons: Smarterlam

Max T. Gaj, 29, of Belchertown and co-owner of Dark Horse Gunsmithing in South Hadley, pleaded guilty on Friday, Sept. 25, to receipt and possession of unregistered firearms, receipt, and possession of National Firearm Act (NFA) firearms not identified by serial number, making a firearm in violation of the NFA, selling firearms in violation of state and local laws, as well as making false entries and properly maintaining records, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Massachusetts.

Gaj, who was a legal firearms seller, received and possessed three firearms - a machinegun, a machinegun bearing no serial number, and a shotgun - that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. Gaj also made his own machinegun in violation of NFA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In addition, Gaj admitted to selling two firearms -a Glock Model 17 pistol and a Glock Model 43 pistol - in violation of state law.

Gaj is facing a prison sentence of up to 10 years for the possession charges, five years for the sales charge, and one year on the false entries charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Gaj is scheduled to be sentenced in January 20201.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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