RALEIGH (AP) — A South Carolina man admits he sold dozens of powerful military-style rifles at gun shows and in hotel parking lots without requiring any paperwork or background checks.
Michael A. Beas of Greer, S.C., pleaded guilty Wednesday in a federal courtroom in Charlotte to a felony count of dealing firearms without a license.
Prosecutors say a Charlotte gun store owner alerted federal officials in August after Beas legally purchased 13 semi-automatic AK-47 rifles over the Internet. Court records showed Beas admitted selling scores of high-powered weapons at gun shows in the Carolinas and Georgia, including parts for .50 caliber sniper rifles capable of piercing an inch of steel armor. He said he didn’t track who bought the guns.
Beas faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison.