Man arrested for selling $50 3D-printed machine gun conversion kits to undercover cops — ‘Glock switches’ turn pistols into fully-automatic weapons

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested 19-year-old Emani Rey Justavino of Jacksonville, Florida, after he sold them “Glock switches” on two separate occasions. According to News4Jax, these 3D-printed devices are designed to convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, which is a federal offense. More than that, the mere possession of these devices is already considered a violation of the law and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison.

The complaint says that the ATF learned that someone who goes by “J.B.J.” was selling the devices on Instagram, so an undercover source contacted him in order to make a purchase. They were then redirected to someone with the Instagram handle “904hottshop,” who agreed to sell four 3D-printed conversion devices for $200 on August 18. The undercover source and another undercover agent met Justavino at a restaurant, who then redirected them to “Ray,” who lived in a nearby home and handed over the items for the agreed price.

The following day, the undercover ATF agent contacted Justavino again to buy 16 more of the devices for $400. The suspect allegedly said that he had printed 50 more devices overnight and, when he met with the agent, offered the entire batch for $300 instead. He additionally offered a tan Glock 19 for $1,000 but refused to sell it when the undercover officer offered a barter trade instead. The ATF filed the criminal complaint against Justavino last September 3, leading to his arrest on September 10.

Authorities across different states have been concerned about 3D-printed ghost guns, with California, Colorado, New York, and Washington State taking steps to stop their production. Some state legislatures have considered this issue a priority, especially as there have been multiple cases of people getting arrested for using 3D printers to build conversion kits and actual weapons, with one enthusiast even building a shoulder-mounted guided missile launcher for just $96 in parts and filament. However, 3D-printing enthusiasts are concerned that these steps could be too restrictive, prevent the legitimate use of 3D printers, and even negatively affect education, open hardware, and small 3D printer manufacturers. One federal judge also struck down an ATF “ghost gun” rule for 3D-printed parts, saying that it violates the Fifth Amendment and the “historical tradition of DIY gunsmithing.”