KEENE, NH – A Jaffrey man plead guilty to federal charges today for possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers.
Luke Czekalski, 38, entered a guilty plea in federal court, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced in a news release Monday.
Czekalski confessed to owning firearms not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty set his sentencing date for September 23, 2024.
The case dates back to November 2022, when New Hampshire state parole officers conducted an unannounced search of Czekalski’s Jaffrey home. At the time, Czekalski was on parole after serving time for a previous felony conviction. During the search, officers discovered several bins in the basement filled with firearms, ammunition, loaded magazines, body armor and other items. Jaffrey police joined the operation, leading to the seizure of eight homemade firearms, five homemade silencers and various ammunition. Testing revealed that three of the firearms were capable of fully automatic fire, classifying them as machineguns under federal law.
Under the charges, Czekalski faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and related statutes.
The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jaffrey Police Department, with support from the New Hampshire Department of Corrections’ Division of Field Services and the New Hampshire Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
