Anoka man arrested in FBI sting, charged with possessing machine gun and meth

ANOKA, Minn. - A 50-year-old Anoka man faces federal charges for allegedly illegally possessing a machine gun and meth. 

Darrian Mitchell Nguyen was arrested on Tuesday in an FBI sting operation. He is charged with one count of possessing with intent to distribute meth, possessing a machine gun, and possessing an unregistered fully automatic rifle.

Court documents say that the FBI received a tip from a confidential source, who said that Nguyen possessed explosive devices, firearms, and methamphetamine, and had shown interest in joining an anti-government group. The source said Nguyen kept these weapons in "secret" rooms built within his house.

The source said he owed Nguyen a debt - roughly $9,000, two ARs, and a sheet of acid - because they lost Nguyen's drug money back in 2020. The source met up with Nguyen in July and, in an audio-recorded conversation, discussed settling the debt. 

Nguyen, however, said he did not want money, but instead wanted the source to provide firearms, because he knew they could build a lot of different types. Over the course of the next few weeks, the two exchanged text messages about Nguyen's preferences in building the guns.

During a meeting in August, Nguyen sold the source roughly 7.1 grams of meth for $300. 

The two arranged to meet on Tuesday and Nguyen took possession of a machine gun and auto sears that the source provided. He was arrested, and law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home, where they found several guns in a hidden room inside the house.

Nguyen made his first court appearance on Wednesday.