Stewart Walter Bachmann, Machine Gun Possession, Florida 2023

DADE CITY, FL – Stewart Walter Bachmann, 55, is facing up to a decade in federal prison after authorities discovered he was illegally possessing a modified machine gun. The arrest, announced Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg, stemmed from a bizarre series of events involving a frantic 911 call and claims of a CIA conspiracy.

On August 5th, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office received a call from Bachmann, who reported being held hostage and threatened with being “put under” by individuals capable of traversing the “5th dimension.” The call took an even stranger turn when Bachmann warned of an impending event “like 9/11” and claimed an invisible person was riding in his vehicle. Deputies responding to the scene near the Tampa Premium Outlet Mall were met with claims that the CIA was plotting a politically motivated mass shooting at the mall, and Bachmann admitted he wasn’t sure if he was meant to be the shooter.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office, acting in concert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), obtained a search warrant for Bachmann’s Dade City residence. While several registered firearms were found, investigators also uncovered a RAK15 AR-15 type rifle that had been illegally modified with an automatic sear – a component that allows the weapon to function as a fully automatic machine gun. Crucially, the ATF found no record of this weapon being registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), making its possession a federal offense.

Bachmann is now charged with one count of unlicensed possession of a firearm not registered in the NFRTR. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars. The investigation highlighted the dangerous combination of unstable behavior and illegal weaponry, raising serious questions about how Bachmann acquired the modified rifle. Authorities haven’t released details on the origin of the weapon or whether it was ghost gun.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Newman will prosecute the case. It falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The Department of Justice launched a renewed emphasis on PSN in 2021, focusing on trust-building, community support, and strategic enforcement.

As with all criminal cases, Bachmann is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, the discovery of an unregistered machine gun in the hands of an individual making threats of mass violence is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by illegal firearms and the ongoing efforts of federal agencies like the ATF to keep these weapons off the streets. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops.

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