A federal inmate released from a Louisiana prison last week is back behind bars after New York prosecutors said they arrested him using a cellphone he had smuggled into his cell to make illegal gun deals.
Hayden Espinosa, 24, is alleged to have been the moderator of a Telegram group called “3D Amendment,” which was a hub for the trading, buying and selling of 3D printed guns and gun modifications, including Autosia, which authorities described as “illegal machine gun modification devices.”
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Autosia is considered a machine gun under federal law.
According to court records, Espinosa was convicted of federal firearms charges in Texas in 2021 for using a 3D printer and selling similar devices by mail.
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A still image taken from a video posted to a YouTube channel associated with the suspect shows a man firing what appears to be a fully automatic rifle. (YouTube/3D correction)
Authorities announced at a news conference in Manhattan on Tuesday morning that investigators investigating the Buffalo grocery store shooting had found Espinosa again a year later.
A screenshot showing items for sale in the 3D Amendment Telegram group, according to federal investigators. (Manhattan District Attorney’s Office)
Peyton Gendron, the suspect in the Tops Friendly Market shooting, was a member of the 3D Amendment Telegram group, according to authorities. Gendron pleaded guilty to domestic terrorism and hate crimes last year and received a life sentence for shooting and killing 10 black people and wounding three in a carefully orchestrated mass shooting.
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Payton Gendron, then 18, of Conklin, New York, was taken into custody after a mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead and three injured. The NYPD discovered that Gendron was a member of Espinosa’s Telegram group. (Reuters)
According to authorities, Espinosa was released from jail on June 4 and Louisiana sheriffs quickly arrested him in the new case.
Ivan Albero, New York special agent for Homeland Security Investigations, said at a press conference that Espinosa’s Telegram group was a “secret chat group” that promoted neo-Nazi and anti-government ideology, as well as selling guns, gun parts and ammunition.
A screenshot of the so-called “menu” states that a single autosear for AR-15 rifles is available for $50, with a bulk buy discount of $500 for 20 pieces.
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Espinosa is accused of selling guns and gun modifications online while in prison. (Manhattan District Attorney’s Office)
Instagram and YouTube videos from accounts associated with the 3D Amendment include montages of people firing what appear to be automatic pistols and rifles.
“It is impossible to imagine the bloodshed these weapons could have caused if they had fallen into the wrong hands,” Albero said.
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged at a press conference Tuesday morning that while in prison, Espinosa is accused of selling guns, silencers and car brake shoes to undercover NYPD officers who were monitoring the Telegram group.
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He allegedly shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service, and photos posted to 3D Amendment’s Instagram page show the packages wrapped and labeled.
Espinoza is scheduled to return to court on June 24 for an arraignment on four charges of carrying a firearm, a machine gun, a silencer and an imitation firearm, and one charge of third-degree attempted unlawful sale of a firearm.
His smuggled mobile phone was confiscated.
