Defendant pleads guilty in federal firearms case

GREENSBORO — A Greensboro man pleaded guilty to three firearms charges, including one that could create automatic weapons, a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina says.

Mahmoud Mazen Abu-Dames, 24, entered guilty pleas Tuesday, Feb. 6, to one count each of unlawfully dealing in firearms,  possession of a machinegun, and trafficking in firearms.

In 2023, Abu-Dames was trafficking privately made firearms and machine-gun conversion devices using the Telegram online messaging application, court documents say. He advertised the sale of 3D-printed drop-in auto sears, devices designed to convert semiautomatic rifles to fire on fully automatic. He also offered Glock conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” that convert the pistols’ fire from semiautomatic to automatic.

In August 2023, a federal undercover agent began communicating with Abu-Dames via Telegram about purchasing both types of devices. He agreed to sell the agent four or five drop-in auto sears and one Glock conversion device, the release says.

After the first transaction, Abu-Dames also offered to sell the agent two AR-15 pistol variants, drop-in auto sears for them and another Glock conversion device.

Abu-Dames described both firearms as “ghost guns” that did not have serial numbers.

On Oct. 2, 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched Abu-Dames’ residence. They recovered three 3-D printers, numerous firearms, dozens of machine-gun conversion devices and two unmarked plastic bags containing green and blue tablets, identical to the suspected Xanax that Abu-Dames included in a previous transaction with the agent.

Abu-Dames is to be sentenced July 26 in Winston-Salem by federal District Judge Loretta C. Biggs. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, at least three years of post-release court supervision, fines and other monetary penalties.

The case was prosecuted under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was enacted in June 2022.

In addition to ATF, the case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole R. DuPré.