A significant player in the 3D-printed firearms world has been arrested on charges of violating the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Hughes Amendment of the Gun Owners Protection Act (GOPA).

According to a criminal complaint filed in a New York federal court on October 17, Peter Celentano, who went by the online moniker Freeman, was arrested for an illegal possession of a machinegun charge. On September 29, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with local police, executed a search warrant on the 35-year-old man’s Bergen, NY home. Federal authorities recovered two 3D printers, unserialized pistol frames, a jig used to finish 80% AR15 receivers, and various other tools that could be used for gunsmithing. In a bathroom closet, the agents found what they claimed to be two 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices.

The authorities believed the man had moved other items from his home, where he lived with his wife and her child. Unbeknownst to Celentano, the ATF had planted a GPS tracker on his vehicle to track his movements. Authorities noticed he made a 40-minute stop at a property in Lyndonville, NY. The ATF contacted the property owner, who gave the ATF agents and local law enforcement permission to search the property for evidence against Celentano.

The agents found an unlocked RV on the property. The agents searched the vehicle and found two totes with yellow tops. The property’s owner claimed to have no knowledge of it and claimed that he didn’t permit anyone to store anything at that location. Police also found a shed with even more containers.

While law enforcement was searching the property for evidence, they received a call from the property owner’s son. The son informed police that Celentano was storing items at his Medina, NY, apartment. Police went to retrieve the items. Mr. Celentano’s friend told police that he knew that Celentano was in possession of machineguns and 3D-printed firearms. The man stated that Celentano was storing items there because he was in the process of moving. Inside the padlocked totes, police found two 3D printers, two plate carriers, and over 20 3D-printed pistol frames. According to the man, Celentano told him the containers contained expensive camera equipment.

When the ATF opened the other containers, they found multiple AR-15 style receivers with a third hole drilled. According to the ATF, the third hole allows for installing an automatic sear. The ATF considers these receivers to be machineguns because of the third hole. The ATF says the total number of AR15 receivers with the third hole drilled out was 59. The resident of the apartment said that Celentano would test out firearms, including machineguns, at the Lyndonville property.

During the interview with the Lyndonville property owner, the man stated that he disposed of some firearms and parts into the Erie Canal. The NYSP SORT dive team recovered a cardboard box from the water that contained ten AR-style receivers, one unserialized handgun, magazines, and other gun parts. The ATF checked Celentano’s name against the NFA registry and found no items registered to the defendant.

Celentano asked for a bond from the court while awaiting trial, but the government argued that he posed a threat. The government presented social media posts from X (formerly Twitter) to establish the threat they believed Celentano was to law enforcement. One post said to train a Wendigo to fight federal agents. A Wendigo is a mythical Native American creature. Another post by Celentano said that “AR-15s are for shooting cops and anyone else who attempts to step on [our] liberty.” The judge would deny the bond, remanding the man into custody.

The authorities were tipped off to Celentano’s real identity by an anonymous call. No one has solid proof of who turned the man in to authorities. Celentano was also involved with the Gatalog. The Gatalog is a 3D printing website surrounding the 3D printing of firearms. The Gatalog uses Rocket Chat to communicate with its developers. AmmoLand News verified through our sources that the ATF has access to the Gatalog’s Rocket Chat. This includes items that are currently in beta.

There has also been talk about violations of export controls of arms. No one has been charged for those violations. This angle is just one that the federal authorities are looking at as a possible way to curb the dissemination of 3D-printed files across the internet.

About John Crump

Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.