Houston man is the first charged since bump stocks were banned, officials say

A Texas man is the first to be charged under the federal bump stock ban, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday.

Ajay Dhingra, 43, was indicted and charged with four counts of possessing firearms, specifically a machine gun, according to the Justice Department.

The indictment alleges Dhingra also made inaccurate statements to acquire two firearms and unlawfully possessed a firearm after being “adjudicated as a mental defective,” according to the Justice Department news release.

Per court records, Dhingra called the George Bush Foundation on Aug. 17, 2019, and left what is described as a “concerning message.”

“Authorities discovered Dhingra had previously been committed to a mental institution, according to the allegations,” the news release says.

Soon after, police obtained a warrant, which turned up a Glock pistol, a Colt rifle with a bump stock and 277 rounds of 9 mm ammunition.

If convicted, Dhingra could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

This story was originally published September 5, 2019 at 7:53 PM with the headline "Houston man is the first charged since bump stocks were banned, officials say."