OAKLAND – A 21-year-old Brentwood man is accused of possessing a device capable of converting a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun, authorities said.
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Noah Bauer was arrested Tuesday and made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He is charged with one count of transferring or possessing an unregistered machine gun.
If convicted, Bauer faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.
Bauer drew the attention of authorities when he showed up to a Brentwood grocery store with a firearm on Sept. 6, 2024, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday. Police allegedly found a 3D-printed Glock-style firearm tucked into his waistband.
During a search of Bauer’s home, authorities found a 3D printer, three 3D-printed pistol frames and a 3D-printed machine gun conversion device, also known as a “switch” or “sear,” according to the complaint.
The devices are used to turn semi-automatic Glock-type pistols into fully automatic machine guns.
A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officer tested the device to see if it could turn a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun. The device broke during the test and the officer determined the polymer used to create it “was not sufficiently resilient to withstand the force exerted by the pistol,” according to the complaint.
Still, the officer concluded Bauer’s device was designed and intended to convert a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun and should therefore be considered a machine gun.
Prosecutors said Bauer is next scheduled to appear in federal court on March 17 for a detention hearing.
