A Florida man accused of using a 3D printer to make machine guns was arrested after selling firearms to an undercover agent, according to court docs

• Authorities say a Florida man was charged after trying to sell illegal guns to an undercover agent.
• Lucas Shirley used a 3D printer to manufacture and sell firearms out of his home, per court docs.

A Florida man, who police say was using a 3D printer to manufacture and sell illegal guns out of his home, was arrested and charged earlier this month, according to court documents, after advertising his product to the wrong customer: an undercover federal agent.

Lucas Shirley, 27, was indicted on four counts, including possession and transfer of unregistered, short-barreled rifles, according to court documents that were first reported on by News 4 Jax and the newsletter Court Watch.

Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said Shirley was printing and selling thousands of dollars worth of homemade "ghost guns" from his Jacksonville residence, as well as conversion devices that upgraded the weapons into machine guns.

While manufacturing personal firearms is perfectly legal, a license is required to manufacture guns for sale or distribution, according to the agency, which said there is no evidence that Shirley is a licensed firearms dealer.

In a 28-page criminal complaint, officials said Shirley on multiple occasions boasted to an undercover ATF agent about selling privately-made firearms that have no serial number attached through an unregistered transaction, making the weapons difficult to trace.

According to court documents, a confidential informant introduced Shirley to the undercover ATF agent in January 2023, after requesting Shirley create short-barreled machine guns which are easily concealable firearms that are also fully automatic.

The duo traveled to Shirley's Jacksonville home on January 4 where the agent observed a "smelting pot covered with a silver metallic substance on the kitchen floor and a 3D printer on the living room floor" as part of his manufacturing set-up, officials said.

During the visit, Shirley showed the undercover agent his 3D printer and said he hoped the agent would continue to purchase more guns from him, per the court documents. Shirley also expressed his opinion that he is a "firm believer" that the ATF has no business knowing what someone has in their home, according to the criminal complaint.

The agent and informant traveled to Shirley's home a second time that month where Shirley showed them his drill press on the living room floor and his wielding area, which included a bench, ventilation set-up, and painting area, telling the duo "it was almost like" he was a licensed firearm distributor only "without the paperwork," according to court documents.

Shirley ultimately sold the agent four rifles, four silencers, and a few pistols for about $11,000 on January 24, according to the criminal complaint.

An attorney for Shirley did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Federal officials said he was already on a 10-year probation for charges of possessing meth with the intent to sell.