Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted Jesse Carter, 31, of Cincinnati, with illegally possessing a machine gun and possessing a pistol and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony.

The verdict was announced yesterday afternoon following a trial that began on May 2 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in March 2020, Carter illegally possessed a pistol, a machine gun and more than 400 rounds of ammunition.

The machine gun was an AR-style “ghost gun” with no markings. Ghost guns are often assembled from kits, do not contain serial numbers, and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace. In April, the Department of Justice announced a new rule modernizing the definition of firearms to make ghost gun kits subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms.

The Government presented at trial that Carter referred to the machine gun as “the big one” in jail calls in which he described the location of the ghost gun which had been concealed behind the sub-woofer in his car.

As a previously convicted felon, Carter is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2020.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Travis S. Riddle, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan W. Myers of the Cincinnati City Solicitor’s Office are representing the United States in this case.