Earl Carter Hamlet NC | FBI arrests North Carolina man known as ‘AK Guru’ accused of selling hundreds of machine guns

HAMLET, North Carolina — A North Carolina resident has been arrested on charges of manufacturing and selling hundreds of machine guns.

Investigators initially received the information after another man was arrested in Wake County.

The defendant was allegedly described by FBI agents as “AK Guru,” also known as Earl Carter of Hamlet, which is in Richmond County near the South Carolina border.

The FBI arrested Carter after going undercover and seeing Carter’s operation at his home.

The criminal complaint said FBI agents learned that “Carter has manufactured and sold hundreds of machine guns to date. Agents also learned that he makes them by modifying legal firearms or assembling parts from deconstructed machine guns to make working rifles.”

The complaint alleges that the FBI used a confidential informant and another defendant who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement.

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A search warrant led to Carter’s Hamlet home and dozens of machine guns and homemade silencers.

A person cooperating with the FBI estimated that Carter sold at least 1,000 modified assault rifles to various groups throughout the Carolinas.

The complaint alleges that some customers, described as “mountain men,” bought multiple AK-type weapons from Carter each week.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case.

The FBI also said the investigation is ongoing and they would not comment further.

ABC Raleigh affiliate WTVD also reached out to Carter’s attorney by phone and email, but did not receive a response.