Man Who Had 3D Rifle And 'Hit List' Of Lawmakers Sentenced: Feds

A Dallas man who federal authorities say had a 3D printed gun and a hit list of lawmakers' names was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Texas. Officials said a court order prohibited the man from possession a firearm.

A forensic analysis by U.S. Capitol Police showed that the man had a strong interest in James Hodgkinson, the man who opened fire at a group of congressmen practicing baseball in Virginia in June 2017, officials said.

A protective order was enacted against the man, identified as Eric Gerard McGinnis, in Aug. 2015 when he was 39, officials said. The order was enacted after an "altercation" with a live-in girlfriend, federal authorities said.

The order barred McGinnis from possessing firearms or ammunition for two years. Despite the order, federal officials say he tried to buy a semi-automatic rifle component at a gun shop in June 2016 and was denied following a background check. McGinnis was reminded by the ATF that he wasn't allowed to possess a gun, officials said.

"Instead, Mr. McGinnis obtained a barrel, stock, upper receiver, and grip, then used a 3D printer to create a “lower receiver,” the gun’s firing mechanism, and assembled the parts to construct a short-barrel AR-15 style rifle," the USAO said in a press release.

In a jailhouse call, McGinnis admitted to printing part of the gun, officials said.

“I didn’t buy a gun, I built the gun,” McGinnis said in the phone call, according to feds. “The upper, I printed a lower, and I built it -- installed the trigger and did all that stuff. I built it.”

While he had just one month left on his protective order, McGinnis took the 3D printed gun to a wooded area outside Dallas in June 2017, officials said. Officers in the area who heard shots fired found McGinnis and the hit list after searching his backpack, officials said. McGinnis claimed to be a member of the CIA when officers found him, officials said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the list was labeled "9/11/2001 list of American Terrorists" and included office and home address of federal lawmakers from both parties.

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