East Boston Felon Indicted on Machinegun and Ghost Gun Charges

A federal grand jury in Boston indicted an East Boston man on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun, following a March 31, 2026, search that uncovered three privately made firearms known as ghost guns, per the U.S. Department of Justice press release.

The indictment affects the unnamed East Boston resident, previously convicted of a felony, with authorities seizing four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines, and 31 privately made firearm receivers during the search at his residence. These items represent a cache of unserialized, homemade weapons components, which federal law prohibits felons from possessing.

Prior to the indictment, the man faced no federal charges for these specific items; now, he stands accused under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) for felon-in-possession and 18 U.S.C. § 922(o) for machinegun possession, with the charges filed on May 1, 2026, initiating formal prosecution in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

The indictment triggers a pretrial process where the defendant must appear for arraignment, potentially facing up to 10 years in prison per count if convicted, per federal sentencing guidelines for these statutes. It also activates asset forfeiture proceedings for the seized firearms and devices, requiring the U.S. Attorney's Office to pursue conviction within statutory timelines.

Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, now coordinate evidence handling for trial preparation.

The charges follow a pattern of federal actions against ghost guns, with the Justice Department issuing a final rule in April 2022 to regulate privately made firearms under the Gun Control Act of 1968. This case aligns with ongoing enforcement initiatives targeting machinegun conversion devices, as detailed in multiple DOJ announcements since 2023.