Belchertown gunmaker Max Gaj pleads guilty to federal firearm violations
Gaj, 29, co-owner of Dark Horse Gunsmithing in South Hadley, admitted to illegally building a machine gun.
www.masslive.com
SPRINGFIELD — A Belchertown man who operated a South Hadley gunsmithing shop has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he illegally made and sold guns, falsified sales records, illegally obtained two machine guns and illegally manufactured a third.
Max T. Gaj, a part owner of Dark Horse Gunsmithing in South Hadley, accepted a deal and entered a guilty plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Springfield.
Judge Mark Mastroianni is scheduled to sentence him in January.
Gaj, 29, was charged with illegal receipt and possession of unregistered firearm, selling firearms in violation of state and federal law, and failing to properly maintain records. He was also charged with two violations of the National Firearms Act: possessing firearms not identifiable by serial number and illegal manufacture of a firearm.
According to prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston, Gaj, a federal firearms licensee, illegally obtained two machine guns, including one that had no serial number and was untraceable, and a shotgun. He also manufactured a machine gun, which is not permissible under the National Firearms Act.
He also sold two Glock handguns in violation of state law, and falsified records.
He faces up to 10 years in prison, three years' probation and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.