Sacramento’s ‘Dr. Death’ Gun Maker Jailed for AR-15 Scheme

Daniel Albert Crowninshield, 54, of Sacramento, is headed to federal prison for a scheme that turned his metal shop into an underground AR-15 factory. Crowninshield was sentenced today to three years and five months behind bars for unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms, along with possession of an unregistered machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. The self-styled gunsmith, known online as ‘Dr. Death,’ ran C&G Tool in North Sacramento—a front for building untraceable rifles sold outside the law.

U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley didn’t mince words, calling Crowninshield’s actions a ‘brazen attempt to circumvent the law.’ The defendant, who operated without a federal firearms license, used computer-controlled machinery to mill unfinished ‘blank’ lower receivers into fully functional AR-15 firearm frames—the legal core of any rifle. These completed receivers were then transferred to buyers with no background checks, no serial numbers, and zero oversight.

Crowninshield’s operation relied on a flimsy legal fiction. While federal law allows individuals to build firearms for personal use without serial numbers, those weapons cannot be sold or transferred. To skirt the rules, Crowninshield had customers press a button or touch the machine during milling—staged moments meant to suggest they’d built the gun themselves. In reality, Crowninshield and his machinists did the work, turning a profit on every illegal conversion.

Operating under the alias ‘Dr-Death,’ Crowninshield actively marketed his services on online firearm forums, where he was a well-known and active poster. Other users praised his work, posted reviews, and referred buyers to his shop—effectively turning the dark corners of gun enthusiast websites into a black-market storefront. The digital trail gave investigators a roadmap to dismantle the operation.

‘The unregulated manufacture and sale of high-capacity firearms is a serious threat to public safety,’ warned U.S. Attorney Talbert. ‘We will continue to investigate and prosecute unlicensed gun dealers who circumvent the law.’ Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder of the ATF echoed the sentiment, stressing that illegal gun manufacturing is the bureau’s top priority. ‘That activity posed a very dangerous threat to the safety of our communities,’ Snyder said.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms, with support from the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Matthew handled the prosecution. Crowninshield is ordered to self-surrender on April 13, 2017, closing a chapter on a dangerous underground gun pipeline in the heart of California’s capital.