(Ken Silva, Headline USA) They call him the “AK Guru.”
Earl Carter Jr., 72, of Hamlet, North Carolina, allegedly manufactured more than 1,000 fully automatic AK-47s and other firearms, selling them to groups around the area—including “multiple prominent local individuals.”
After manufacturing machine guns for a “significant portion” of his life, Carter was arrested earlier this month. Charging papers unsealed this week describe an underground gun-making enterprise that could be fit for a Breaking Bad-style television series.
“CARTER has connections around the world who are able to smuggle firearms from Europe into the United States … CARTER has sold over 1000 fully automatic AK-47s to different groups in the area and that individuals from the ‘mountains’ have purchased multiple fully automatic AK-47s a week from CARTER,” stated the FBI’s criminal complaint, which was first reported by Court Watch.
“CARTER is an individual who is well connected and has sold machineguns to multiple prominent local individuals.”
According to the 14-page criminal complaint, the FBI eventually nabbed the 72-year-old Carter because one of his clients turned snitch.
An FBI informant bought four machine guns and two illegal suppressors from someone in Wake County. That person, identified in charging papers as “CD-1,” then snitched on Carter and agreed to cooperate against him.
The FBI executed a search warrant on Carter’s home on Oct. 15, finding a cache of firearms.
“Of these firearms, investigators specifically seized at least one AK style rifle that had a “third pin”; an exterior indicator that an AK style rifle is constructed with parts capable of functioning as a machinegun,” the criminal complaint said.
“In addition to the AK style rifles, over twenty other firearms were found during the search warrant execution. In addition to the firearms being found, investigators also seized a homemade suppressor.”
The criminal complaint said there’s more information about Carter’s criminal enterprise that has yet to be disclosed.
Carter was ordered to remain in jail on Thursday. Future hearings have yet to be scheduled.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
