Convicted felon pleads guilty to possessing a machinegun

Federal court officials say a Burnsville man has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a machinegun.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 29-year-old Benjamin Zwack sold 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices, also known as switches or auto sears, while working at a Federal Firearms Licensee business.

The Attorney’s Office says an undercover agent went into the business in March of 2023 and bought 11 of the 3D-printed conversion devices in order to convert a semiautomatic AR-Type weapon to automatically shoot. While there, authorities add Zwack had a firearm in his waistband. As previously reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, Zwack has a prior felony conviction.

A few weeks later, a search warrant was done at Zwack’s storage locker, home and vehicle, where police found guns, silencers that were suspected to be homemade, ammunition, a pistol in the center console of his vehicle and a “suspected destructive device.”

Zwack’s sentencing hearing hasn’t been scheduled as of this publishing.