Burnsville man charged with possessing, selling "auto sears"
BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- A Burnsville man has been federally charged for illegal possession of machine gun conversion devices, also known as "auto sears" or "switches."
According to court documents, Benjamin Jehle Zwack, 29, is an employee at a Federal Firearms Licensee business and was believed to have been selling 3D-printed conversion devices.
These "switches" are known for making firearms into fully-automatic machine gun-style devices.
The case came about after an undercover agent performed an investigation at Zwack's business, and noted a firearm in his waistband.
After serving a search warrant, investigators found a number of firearms, suspected homemade silencers, ammo, and a "suspected destructive device."
"Because Zwack has a prior felony conviction he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time," U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said.
He now faces one count of possession of machine guns and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He has already made his first court appearance on the charges, and was ordered to remain in custody.