Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison on Firearms Violations and Child Pornography Charges

CLEVELAND - A Summit County man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for manufacturing firearms and machine gun conversion devices from his home using a 3D printer and selling them through a popular social media platform.

Alexander Beattie, 34, of Barberton, Ohio, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:

• Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms Without a License
• Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing and Dealing Firearms Without a License
• Manufacturing a Firearm Without a License
• Felon in Possession of Ammunition; previous convictions for burglary in 2011 and domestic violence in 2018.
• Possession of Child Pornography

Beattie was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $54,500 in restitution and $5,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments. The sentence was imposed by Judge Adams Aug. 28, 2025.

According to court documents, from about Feb. 1 - Nov. 4, 2024, Beattie used a 3D printer to manufacture illegal firearms, parts, and suppressors in his house. These firearms without serial numbers, are untraceable, and typically manufactured at home, are known as "ghost guns." "Ghost guns" are unable to be tracked or traced since they do not have serial numbers or other record of being manufactured or sold. Beattie used a popular social media platform to market his manufacturing services and find paying customers by sharing photos and videos that highlighted the quality of his illegal products.

During the investigation, agents also found that Beattie's electronic devices contained child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), that included children who were under the age of 12.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.