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McGinnis Convicted on Firearm Charges
DALLAS – In a shocking turn of events, a federal jury found Eric Gerard McGinnis, 42, of Grand Prairie, Texas, guilty of possessing an unregistered short barrel rifle and unlawfully possessing ammunition while under an active protective order.
The charges stem from an incident on July 28, 2017, when officers from the Grand Prairie Police Department responded to the sound of gunshots in a wooded area near North Belt Line Road and East Palace Parkway. Upon arrival, they found McGinnis carrying a backpack that contained an AR-15 rifle with a receiver made using a 3D printer and a barrel that was only ten inches long.
According to evidence presented at trial, McGinnis was also found in possession of 88 rounds of ammunition for the rifle. Furthermore, he did not have the short barrel rifle registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, which is the repository for registrations for weapons that must be registered under the National Firearms Act.
Additionally, the evidence showed that McGinnis had attempted to purchase a receiver from a federal firearms licensee in 2016, but the transaction required a background check that rejected McGinnis based on the active protective order.
The protective order was entered by a Dallas County court on August 31, 2015, finding that McGinnis had committed family violence against a former girlfriend with whom he had lived. The order prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
McGinnis will remain in custody pending sentencing, which is set for October 24, 2018, before U.S. Chief District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Grand Prairie Police Department investigated the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian McKay and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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