Unlicensed Firearms Dealer Pleads Guilty To Multiple Weapons Charges

SAN FRANCISCO –Craig Bolland pleaded guilty to crimes he committed related to his storage and sale of a firearms arsenal he maintained in his San Francisco home, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The guilty plea was accepted by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.

In his plea agreement, Bolland admitted he was involved in the business of manufacturing and selling firearms from at least June 2021 through May 30, 2023, the date of his arrest. Bolland admitted that he engaged in these activities even though he previously had been convicted of a felony and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.

According to his plea agreement, Bolland admitted that he manufactured his own firearms using parts he had shipped to himself. He also used manufacturing equipment—including a 3D printer, a drill press, and a machine called a Ghost Gunner 3—to fabricate privately manufactured “ghost guns” (both pistols and rifles) which lacked serial numbers. In addition to manufacturing his own guns, Bolland admitted he used his equipment to modify pre-existing firearms. Modifications included installing “switches” to enable semi-automatic firearms to become fully-automatic firearms.

In addition to illegally manufacturing firearms, Bolland admitted that he also sold the weapons although he did not have a license to do so. Bolland admitted he sold dozens of commercially manufactured firearms and at least five firearms that he manufactured himself privately. Some of the firearms Bolland possessed for sale had obliterated serial numbers. The plea agreement describes how Bolland accepted payment for the firearms in cash, cryptocurrency, and narcotics and how Bolland had reason to believe some of his customers were involved in criminal activity of their own and were legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Moreover, in addition to selling firearms that he manufactured and acquired for resale, Bolland acknowledged in his plea agreement that he also brokered multiple firearms and ammunition sales between other buyers and sellers. Bolland admitted he received a commission for brokering such deals.

Bolland was convicted of a felony in 2007 and therefore was prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms and ammunition. Nevertheless, Bolland admitted that at the time of his arrest he possessed hundreds of rounds of pistol and rifle ammunition, more than a dozen firearm frames and receivers, at least four pistols and an AR-15 style 5.56mm caliber rifle.

On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Bolland, charging him with the following crimes:

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Bolland pleaded guilty to all four counts. In addition to the penalties listed above, as part of any sentence, Judge Chhabria may order the defendant to serve an additional period of supervised release and to pay a fine of $250,000 per count. However, the court will impose a sentence only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Bolland has been in custody since the date of his arrest. Judge Chhabria has scheduled Bolland’s sentencing for December 6, 2023.

Assistant United States Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Carolyn Young and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.