Massachusetts – -(AmmoLand.com)-The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in conjunction with local law enforcement, arrested a Holyoke, Massachusetts, man on charges of violating the National Firearms Act (NFA) and other gun-related crimes.
Daniel A. Augusto, 56, was charged with one count of possessing machine guns, six counts of unlawful possession of unregistered firearms, and one count of making false statements to federal agents. He was arraigned in federal court in Springfield on Friday.
“The unlawful possession of unregistered machine guns is a federal crime that ATF takes very seriously as it threatens the safety of our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division.
“ATF has had a long and productive relationship with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in combating violent crime and stopping the unlawful possession of firearms that are not legally registered.”
Mr. Augusto has been under investigation since February. On February 23, 2022, federal and local law enforcement officials claimed that Augusto was in unlawful possession of multiple unregistered firearms. Under Massachusetts State law, a gun owner must register their firearms. He was also found to possess several standard compacity magazines that are illegal in the state.
Mr. Augustro also had two suppressors lacking any markings. These silencers appeared to be homemade. Under the NFA, all hearing protection silencers must be registered with the ATF, and the owner must obtain a tax stamp to be able to own one. Making a homemade silencer is not illegal, although the end user must fill out an ATF Form 1, assign a serial number to the suppressor, and have the suppressor engraved.
The United States Attorney’s Office alleges none of that was done.
The ATF claims that Mr. Augustro had 42 machine gun conversion devices. Glock machine gun conversion switches accounted for 38 of these devices. These devices are available on Chinese websites and allow users to convert their Glock pistol into a machine gun. The ATF and postal inspectors have been cracking down on these devices.
But Forced Reset Triggers!?
Mr. Augustro also had four forced reset triggers.
These include three Rare Breed FRT-15 triggers and one Tommy Triggers FRT-15-3MD. The ATF has claimed these are machine guns leading to a long, drawn-out court battle between Rare Breed Triggers and the Federal Government.
This case seems like the first time the federal government claims the devices are machine guns when dealing with an individual owner.
Augusto allegedly possessed:
- One PTR Industries, Inc., model PTR 9, 9x19mm caliber firearm bearing serial number 9MC01048xx with one magazine and an altered HK MP5-type machinegun trigger housing installed;
- 38 “switch-type” Glock machinegun conversion devices bearing a counterfeit Glock logo;
- Three Rare Breed FRT-15 forced reset triggers designed to allow drop-in installation into AR-15 type firearms, with no serial number;
- One Tommy Triggers FRT-15-3MD forced reset trigger designed to allow drop-in installation into AR-15-type firearms, with no serial number;
- One Imperial Arms Co., model EFFEN 90, 5.7x28mm caliber firearm bearing serial number HXX37 with one magazine;
- One PTR Industries, Inc., model PTR 9, 9x19mm caliber firearm bearing serial number 9MK001951 with a collapsible shoulder stock, thread protector, electronic sight, and forward grip, and with one magazine;
- One Sig Sauer, model MPX, 9x19mm caliber firearm bearing serial number 62B058947 with an electronic sight, a forward grip, and a Maxim Defense collapsible shoulder stock, and with one magazine;
- One Intratec, model Tec-9, 9x19mm caliber firearm bearing serial number 54601, with a secondary forward grip and a synthetic sling; and
- Two black firearms silencers with no markings.
“Guns are deadly weapons. There are strict requirements regarding licensing for and registering of firearms. We believe Mr. Augusto not only unlawfully possessed numerous unregistered firearms, but also possessed a stockpile of machine guns and conversion devices that have the capability to rapidly cause death and destruction,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.
“The illegal possession of firearms and, moreover, machine guns, greatly threaten the safety of our communities. Gun laws are in place for a reason. The conduct alleged here is very serious. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who try to bring deadly weapons into our communities.”
Federal authorities also allege that Augusto lied to agents when questioned. They claim that Augusto told them that all the firearms in the house belonged to his son and his girlfriend. They claim he asked them to purchase some of the guns for him. He claims that he never asked the couple to buy him the firearms. It isn’t clear if Augusto is prohibited, but AmmoLand News ran a background check and didn’t turn up a criminal record.
Mr. Augusto is facing a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each NFA violation. He is facing a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for lying to federal authorities.
About John Crump
John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or www.crumpy.com.
atf needs to be gone
Needs to be a franchise of connivence stores. But to that note CAN the All Terrible Fools consider a SPRING behind a trigger be called a ‘forced reset’?
The ATFE had to use a zip tie, rubber band and a paperclip to make the Rare Breed FRT-15 operate in what they call ‘full auto mode’ even though the trigger was actually being pulled bybthise devices, once per bullet.
The corrupt ATFE needs to be not just gone, but disolved with no hopes of a revival.
a large number of the agents need time in solitary
Hope someone manages to snap a good photo of the goons, all decked out in their new orange Onesies, standing in a nice straight line looking straight at the camera Now THAT one would be a good one for the wall out in the shop.
with broomsticks stuck up their asses
No, bed them with bubba.
Im pretty dure that same zip tie, rubber band, and paper clip can be used to make a firearm operate in “full auto mode” without a forced reset trigger installed, as well.
My understanding is the springiness of a zip-tie was used by ATF to make the FRT fire in full auto. A rubber band can be used to induce bump fire and a paper clip (or coat hanger) can be bent into a shape to function as an Lightning-Link (or historically, the Automatic Disconnector.)
an ar does not have a place to mount a rubber band so they made one with the ziptie and paper clip rubber band pulls trigger surprised they did not drill holes in grip no ziptie …I have an old tired garand that will fire two or three now and then needs a new hammer it is worn someone else will fix it
They think EVERYBODY has machine guns. And even if they did the machine gun dooms-day liberals would be very disappointed. Having “machine guns” doesn’t make anybody a killer. More like collectors.
Definitely collectors, considering the price of a “legal” machine gun is nearing $50,000.
Does that $ figure apply to entry level guns, like MACs? Last time I checked, that figure would have bought you a damned nice Thompson or Colt M16.
the real entry gun is h&r Reising Model 50 45 acp it ws the cheep alternative to Thompson they are in the 6-10 thousand bracket relatively slow cycle rate around 500rpm inexpensive ammo (by most machine gun standards) and are fun m14 308 hurts but mine has wood stock it is as issued
That’s the general going price from pretty much any full auto firearm because of the VERY limited supply of pre 1984 machine guns. You cannot buy newer than that, legally.
pre May of 1986.
skip the gun m14 eats 750 rpm using 20 round mags 1,000 rounds down range in ten minutes without trying 3.62 per round one trip to range $6 T H O U S A N D dollars 50 bmg is cheeper than that now no full auto for frivolous fun now only for need
So I take all these ILLEGAL WEAPONS decided to go on a killing spree ? Or is this more about Govt extortion ? These weapons were so dangerous, they didn’t even resist arrest. I’m truly surprised the mags, switches, & triggers didn’t become one super power. lol
hope someone has a Gatling gun with 50-90 or 50 -140 or 50-110 , they were made in small numbers a real lawn mowing is needed
What I’m concerned with, and all of us should be, is if the legality of the forced reset trigger is not fought for and won, there will be precedent on all future arguments going forward. That would open up a huge can of worms!
the atf needs to loose their chevron deference claim and be swatted for making up laws.
We need to know if this guy is a credible defendant or not, in front of a jury.
The ATF will want a Nazi cannibal meth cook type critter who’s also got NFA stuff. If this guy has been selling Glock auto switches to street gangs a jury is gonna consider him to be on that level.
What we HOPE is that most of the Glock switches found are prototypes, he hasn’t been selling, he’s just a homebrewer gone edgy but otherwise credible. Like basically half of the r/fosscad subreddit :).
Do we know what category this guy falls into?
Same CCRKBA lobbyist Jim March who falsely claimed gun grabbing RINO Arnold Schwarzenegger was pro-gun after he donated to CCRKBA for payola? Helped Arnold beat conservative McClintock, claiming he had “zero” chance in a recall where he only needed a plurality to win? (After which Arnold signed an “AW” ban.) Same who trashed David Codrea for “throwing a temper tantrum” about it?
Man, there’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s start with Ahnuld and McClintock. Tom came out early against both gays and abortion. In California. Even back in 2002/2003 era that wasn’t gonna work. OK? Yes, he would have been better on guns but he had zero chance in my opinion, and he completely stank in the actual final vote: Arnold 48.something%, McClintock 13%. If you think that was my doing you’re smoking something way funky. I had what looked like credible information that Arnold had donated money to multiple gun rights groups. It looked like a good source. Appears in… Read more »
Switched the excuses to full auto there. Looks like the gay & abortion agendas are important enough to you to pretend RINO Schwarzekennedy was pro-gun & smear McC as a gay-hating religious fanatic, when you knew otherwise.
Arnhole won with 48% thx to such BS & self-fulfilling prophesy. What mattered was Davis lost the recall by 50%+1. Successor won by PLURALITY so we didn’t NEED a RINO celeb as if it was a normal election. If too-smart-by-half “prags” like you & Harold Hutchinson didn’t hump RINOs, McC could’ve won. You threw away Cali’s last chance
McClintock would have lost to Bustanente, who was at least as bad as Davis.
He lost because HE outed HIMSELF as anti-gay, anti-abortion. I didn’t do that. I liked the guy! Proof is right there.
But he decided to die on those hills and die he did (politically speaking).
Aware you seriously suggesting I’m the reason he failed when he scored less than 14% of the final vote? Really? And NINETEEN YEARS LATER you’re still pissed?
Really?
“Outed himself”? Revealing way to put it. 2 decades ago the gay mafia wasn’t in control yet, just getting going with your help.
Still pissed? Hardly, but only fools forget betrayals and expect loyalty & wisdom next time.
Nice try, Ope-TEX-Bruce-Will-FORDWill et socks. You’re 20 moron ex(?)-cops in one.
what I see from this he got played, fooled. Look at the people think Trump is conservative….he is not and never will be …was he a better choice than billery or any of the others YES but we can do better.
We’re not going to do better unless the GOP endorses someone else. If you vote for anyone but Trump as the republican candidate in 2024. Your just handing votes to the Democratic Marxists.
unfortunately I think you are correct and his likely vp will be desatis so maybe we get a three term stretch to right the ship
More self fulfilling prophesy. We might well do better with DeSantis.
he may choose to back desantis rather than disrupt his company again
We are very appreciative of actual testimony from one that actually lived it.
telling us to look at the past of the person dont listen to the soundbites ,he has a lot of good points about missed signals,and train wrecks
I lived it.
I would like to read about your involvement. That would provide some context.
it would be nice to hear , better choices are made when well informed
This site makes intel from every part of the country possible. If I tell you what is happening to me, then you can prepare.
I’m thinking that we could all keep each other informed.
For instance, I see the. county Sheriff’s deputy once per year right around Christmas, when he sends the boy’s around to “show the flag.” All the rest of the time, I am the law on my own land. My neighbor is the law on his land.
not everyone here is full of sh….it I know some people that got real screwed up by things that happened in comifornia oddly one has apartment buildings in san francisco comifornia is trying to tax her income from buildings in new york city because she has been covering rent control losses in comifornia
so fuck ed up you can make it up
this needs to be taken to federal court to stop the infringement, even if scotus needs to get involved
It shouldn’t be necessary to get to The Supremes. Bruen is a set of guidelines that the lower courts have to follow. For one, they’re not allowed to make policy decisions anymore. “Guns are dangerous” is no longer in any judge’s vocabulary anymore – if they follow Bruen.
It’s hard to even start with how massive a change that is.
Thing is, it WILL be taken to federal court – by the ATF. That’s where this is going, before a federal judge.
Who is bound by Bruen if the defense files a demurrer. Which they will.
If the follow the law. big IF Ithink it will take another slap like a change of a 9th circuit ruling and written rebuke from scotus . I will laugh if judge rules atf cant make laws and throws the case out which is what should happen
based n epa ruling
Yes, I would like very much to see the S. Ct. assert its power over loser courts.
I for one would like to have a nice rebuke like Its the constitution stupid follow it,dont make things up. that is where roe failed they made up stuff. states rights and federal should be worlds away and feds should never cross the line you dont like how something is done in one state MOVE
Yes… well … these are some pretty sophisticated intellectuals. Their rebukes are far more subtle. But I hear you.
In Bruen that’s exactly what they did.
In First Amendment case law for example, even though the lower courts have to do strict scrutiny there is still an interest balancing element going on. Since lower courts had gotten interest balancing so very badly wrong in 2A cases, the Supremes *stripped out interest balancing as a concept* in Bruen.
The left is still screaming that the 2A is now better protected than the 1A. They’re correct – but they have nobody to blame but the judges on their side.
the second is supposed to protect the others so it should be hands off
Hey, I ran across the first draft of the Second Amendment. Is anyone interested in reading it?
Yes, Bruen stripped out my entire first semester of Con Law, where the liberal professor drilled balancing tests into our heads.
Oppps. It should have read lower courts rather than loser courts. My bad.
Yeah, both the EPA case and Bruen *very clearly* told lower courts what to do. Much more clearly than Heller did.
In Heller we only had five votes on our side and one (Kennedy) was squishy. It was watered down specifically to get him on board.
In Bruen we had SIX with one squishy (Roberts) so the majority opinion didn’t need to cater to him.
SCOTUS needs to just remove the ATFE as unconstitutional. Plain an simple.
Except that the BATFE is not unconstitutional. The Sec. of the Treasury created, by a memo, a working group to collect a certain kind of taxes. That is all. Nothing unconstitutional about it.
Any memo writing member of the executive branch above the cabinet level could disappear the BATFE with another memo because ATF was not created by Congress.
The S. Ct. could find the National Firearms Act unconstitutional because the act is not really about collecting tax. But to get that S. Ct, we need a POTUS and Senate that will appoint and confirm the appropriate Justices.
Then the BATFE should go back to collecting taxes and nothing more. I know, I know, It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens. The best defense we have against them is non compliance.
I, for one, am not allowing anyone to take my guns. Period.
So, If their coming for mine, they better damn well bring theirs!!
Yes, and another good defense would be to capture the House, the Senate, the Presidency, and pressure them to get rid of the agency. Save the Republic, write the memo!
Quietly sell out and move to the country. Put a USS Cyclone fence around your country house, and fill it with homeless dogs.
Put your house numbers on the barn door, and incorrect house numbers on your house.
Yes, in the book, “Unintended Consequences”, author John Ross records for history that because prohibition was repealed all those revenue agents had to be given other work. So the many famously corrupt revenue agents of IRS became the first ATF agents. The agency has a history and legacy of corruption.
BATFE IS unconstitutional because it enforces the NFA, which IS unconstitutional. Their infringement, including taxation, IS unconstitutional. Might be, may be, could be found to be, nothing.
Unfortunately, just doing some action does not make the entire organization unconstitutional. If doing an action or refraining from doing an unconstitutional action were the test, then there would be no agencies left.
as a law enforcement wing they are on shaky ground, but look irs just bought 5 million rounds of ammo and guns so their auditors can stick people up Im looking to move to all barter group no banks no taxes have no use for woke schools or corrupt police Im happy to pay fire fees because they do help people, Im too far out of town for any of them to come to my land county cant be bothered …but that is why I am here.I pay privet wast county tried to put it on my taxes big no
All barter would be good but hard to arrange.
would be better if it came from a lower court and was upheld
It really doesn’t matter what category he falls into.
Remember: UNINFRINGED!!!!
The FRT thing is just a power play to try to roll them up with the other charges this guy is obviously going down for.
Hopefully the court is smart enough to pick that apart. Would be nice to see a dismissal of that charge so the make-stuff-up-as-we-go-along crew at ATF gets a reality check.
would be nice to see it all dumped ,and the tax declared unreasonable ,10% is fare (vat) more is just to keep poor slobs out of the club. I think if they had challenged 1934 act on 5 th and 14th it would have all fallen and not have been salvaged by 1968 law
Nah. The FRT’s are just bargainingchips piled high on the table. When push starts to shove, they’ll give him a deal that can’t be beat”< drop al the FRT charges, and nail him for the other stuff.
Since WHEN is mandated registration of a normal firearm with the state consistent with the US Constitution? And WHY are FedGov goons charging local and state items? They are there to enforce what passes for “law” at the Federal level. I’d have the Fed court toss all the state charges, outside your bailiwick, clowns.
I think that the federal charges will be tried, potentially, in the federal trial court; and the state charges, potentially tried in the state trial court.
I would agree but the registration of non mass complaint charges was the only real thing besides silencers , this my be an attempt to regain some ground lost in ny case and my well cost gun control freaks more than ny did properly played this could be another nail in batfe coffin
If the ATFE are going to start going after LEGAL gun owners, then Hunter Biden (a bonified prohibited person, by his own admission) needs to be facing the exact same charges with a conviction and MAXIMUM fines and prison time.
get real, they will never do their jobs, our only hope is next president does fire all the people that protected hunter ,jail those most responsible for obstruction and jail hunter and his dad
If we get all demanding, now, FJB will give his boy a pardon.
Shhhh. If FJB figures it out, he will give is son a pardon in advance.
has to be charged to give him a pardon, and that could be in the plan, remember them accusing trump of all kinds of false stuff and investigating if he could pardon himself? biden may be waiting to last minute to file and seal pardons
“…..unregistered machine guns is a federal crime that ATF takes very seriously as it threatens the safety of our communities,” NO, the Alphabet Boys threaten the safety of our communities, our Freedom, Liberties, and Rights…… I’ll take my chances with unregistered machine guns over Alphabet Boys.
Darn it…I was just going to post almost the exact same thing. Waco comes to mind as well as Ruby Ridge. ALL over some BS that the gooberment wanted to enforce on people just minding their own business.
You mean West Point graduate and Army Infantry Officer Lon Horiuchi, turned FBI “Hostage Rescue” Law Enforcement Officer.
The A T & F B of I
Let dozens of terrorists fly
On September 11.
Then like manna from Heaven
Deep State funding soon flew sky high.
The truth about what is legal and illegal is defined most of the time by people that know very little about the actual use of the products in question. The government surely can be accused of altering the facts to suite their arguments, The worst part is the actual defence that has to be undertaken by a legal team that might not truly understand what the governments positions now and in the past have been. Agencies like the ATF were created for just that purpose to do the dirty work while adding to the government’s argument. The guy in this… Read more »
Moral of the story, don’t buy from chi-com websites. All federal agencies are being used against you now. This guy was buying chi-com junk from chi-com websites and it was being delivered via the postman. The feds got him because they have weaponized the post office against us.
<p>As an aside, I was in a local Army-Navy store the other day and was appalled that 90+% of what they were selling was chi-com. I didn’t buy anything and won’t be going back.
US and European stuff is expensive and people are cheep ,even old soviet block stuff is going up….better than china crap ..when I buy stuff I try to buy from anywhere but china …sometimes I do without
Other thing, theres not much “military surplus” sold to the public any more that is worth having. Now fill the window display with US surplus M16A1’s and Israeli surplus Uzi’s and we will talk.
As far as I can tell from reading, Mr. Agusto or Augustro (both spellings in above article) did nothing wrong. Was there some reason he was targeted? Something is missing from this report. I want to know if he is a regular, law-abiding individual that was randomly singled out to be made an example of, or if he was a bad guy that ATF is desperately trying to get off the street.
He has no criminal record. So I would say the latter.
scare tactic that with luck and good judges will backfire
My take is that the newly weaponised USPS goon squad traced his Chinese packages to his door, then turned him over to BATF. WHY are armed goons wasting out tax dollars trying to hang folks for getting “cool stuff” from China?
the government attorney Rachael S. Rollins (s must be for scum-bucket) should be disbarred this is after buren and epa please they should have bowed out and told mass take your chances in federal court and likely look stupid or walk away take this to court and your gun registry goes down the tubes
I have permit in mass. and the way I obtained tells me how corrupt police there are when he is no longer in charge or i sell my house there I will post what I did for him ,in my book was just human decency in his he owed me big
Get this ahole out of office then the arf wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
A well regulated militia, being necessary to a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed — the second amendment, a constitutional law that everyone who is sworn into government is under oath in front of GOD ALMIGHTY to protect and defend — including the atfe, under penalty of treason and tyranny. Here we see yet another example of a government run amok and ruling under absolute tyranny and treason. History tells us that the colonies, that became the United States of America, were placed under tyranny, for decades, by the British.… Read more »
The only crimes here are armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and violation of rights.