Earl Carter Jr., also known as "AK Guru," was arrested in North Carolina for allegedly manufacturing and distributing illegal machine guns. The 72-year-old Hamlet resident faces several federal charges, including conspiracy to manufacture firearms without a license, possession of a machine gun, aiding and abetting, and possession of a firearm by a felon. According to WRAL, the Federal Bureau of Investigation acted on a tip from a confidential informant, which led to the discovery of Carter's operation.

The investigation revealed that Carter had sold more than 1,000 modified weapons. According to the arrest document, "Carter has sold over 1,000 fully automatic AK-47s to different groups in the area, and that groups in the mountains have purchased multiple fully automatic AK-47s a week from him," as obtained by WRAL. During the search of Carter's property, authorities confiscated numerous firearms and suspected illegal suppressors.

An unnamed cooperating defendant claimed that Carter sold an "astronomical" number of guns over time and taught others to manufacture firearms. Carter has a felony conviction from 1994 for discharging a weapon into occupied property, making his possession of firearms illegal. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case, stating that "Carter knowingly conspired to make and deal guns without a license." The Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that their investigation is ongoing and has not commented further, as stated by Spectrum Local News.