Jaden Michael-William Pope, a 20-year-old from Lizella, Georgia, has entered a guilty plea for illegally manufacturing machine guns in his home. The technical college student, who described himself as a "machinist" and used 3D printers for the operation, faces up to ten years in prison alongside a potential $250,000 fine with sentencing set for May 13, an act that brings with it recognition of no parole in the federal system, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
This case emerged when local authorities investigated Pope for a string of firearm thefts from vehicles and during that probe, they discovered cell phone images of weapons and silencers Pope had manufactured, he leveraged 3D printers in a way that technology's inventors likely never envisioned, turning his bedroom into a makeshift armory. A confidential source informed law enforcement that Pope was creating these illicit items in his Lizella residence, sharing that they even witnessed the young machinist discharge a gun equipped with one of his homemade silencers, a claim that was later substantiated by evidence collected during the investigation.
The catalyst for Pope's legal troubles was the discovery of photos on his Facebook page showing self-made firearms, prompting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to join the investigation, resulting in a detailed examination of Pope's social media where his self-affirmation as a "machinist" and student, coupled with pictures of manufactured firearms, hastened law enforcement's intervention. When the ATF and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Pope's residence on Dec. 12, 2023, they seized four 3D printers, multiple computers, a pair of machineguns, a collection of silencers, and a short-barreled rifle, additionally encountering evidence of methamphetamine concealed inside a USB device amidst the electronic devices, as detailed by U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker, “3-D printed machineguns and silencers pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities by increasing the access of illegally manufactured rapid-fire weapons to potentially dangerous individuals." The crackdown on Pope’s underground production highlights an increasing concern over the untraceable nature of 3D-printed firearms, which can be produced by individuals with some technical savvy and access to the right equipment without serial numbers, making them difficult to track and adding a layer of complexity to gun crime investigations, as per U.S. Attorney's Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes leads the prosecution on behalf of the government.
