Damien Jax Schaffer, a 45-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested on June 24, 2025. The arrest was made by special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Schaffer faces charges for engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and possession of an unregistered firearm. He appeared in court for his initial hearing.
The criminal complaint indicates that between May 8 and June 24, 2025, Schaffer manufactured and sold 15 illegal machinegun conversion devices. These devices are designed to convert semi-automatic firearms into machineguns by enabling them to fire multiple rounds with a single trigger pull.
Machinegun conversion devices must be registered with the ATF’s National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Upon investigation, ATF agents found no record of registration for Schaffer’s devices. It was also determined that he did not have a federal license to sell firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. This nationwide initiative aims to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation consolidates efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint serves as a formal charge but does not imply guilt. An individual remains innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by evidence presented to a jury.
The ATF is leading the investigation in this case, while the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson is responsible for prosecution.
For further information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona, visit their website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.
