An Albuquerque resident, Anthony Lutz, has pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license. According to court documents, Lutz, 43, sold dozens of guns for profit between 2019 and 2023. The investigation began after Mexican authorities seized one of his rifles at a crime scene in 2022. This led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to connect him to 11 additional firearms found at crime scenes—six in Albuquerque and six in Mexico—and revealed that he had purchased about 82 firearms, including 50 AR-15s of two specific models.
Lutz admitted in his plea agreement that he assembled receivers into functional firearms and sold them for profit through online platforms such as JasonsGuns.com. He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms. As part of the plea agreement, both parties agreed to recommend a sentence of five years’ probation and a $30,000 fine.
"Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today."
The ATF conducted the investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee prosecuting the case.
"This effort is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF."
