Guilty plea rendered to firearm offenses

Miller was one of three area residents charged on federal gun counts

A Martinsburg man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of possession, manufacturing and trafficking of firearms, according to U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan.

Harry Miller, 47, pleaded guilty on Monday to seven federal counts relating to the manufacturing, dealing and possession of firearms as well as conspiracy.

Miller was one of three Blair County men -- along with former city police officer Craig Zahradnik, 51, and Wayne Farabaugh, 48, of Portage -- charged in September on federal gun offenses.

Details of the nine-count indictment filed against the three were made public at the end of September.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from about May 2022 until April 2023, Miller knowingly and willfully conspired to engage and engaged in the business of manufacturing or dealing in firearms without a license.

According to Olshan, Miller also possessed a machine gun, trafficked firearms and engaged in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without having paid the special occupational tax required by law.

Miller unlawfully possessed a firearm after knowing he had previously been convicted of a crime and knowingly and unlawfully transferred firearms that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records, according to the press release.

His sentencing is scheduled for March 11. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 70 years in prison, a fine of $1,270,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting the case. According to the release, Miller pleaded guilty to counts one, two, four, five, seven, eight and nine of the information before U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.

Court documents stated the suspects "would assemble and manufacture unserialized, personally made firearms without a federal license to do so." Because of the lack of serial numbers, the weapons are considered ghost guns.

Miller, it is charged, would sell the firearms and would pay part of the proceeds to Zahradnik, who, the indictment stated, financed the operation.

They made purchases of components used to manufacture and outfit the guns that included Polymer 80 frame parts kits, AR-15 build kits, upper and lower receivers, triggers, threaded barrels, magazines and silencers, the indictment stated.

Miller and Farabaugh, it was noted, used a drill press, routers and other tools to assemble and manufacture silencers and the firearms, that included handguns, triggers, threaded barrels and silencers.

Miller was charged with selling and transferring ammunition and firearms including two Polymer 80 handguns, 9 mm, and two black silencers on Feb. 25.

He was also charged with various sales on March 8 and March 22, 2023.

On the March dates, he gave Zahradnik part of the money from the sales, the charges stated.

Count two of the indictment charges Zahradnik and Miller of manufacturing and dealing in firearms.

Count three, not part of Miller's plea, indicates that on March 21 and March 22, Zahradnik transferred a rifle and three Polymer 80 handguns to Miller, who intended to sell the items.

Count four charged Miller with possession of a firearm prohibited due to a prior conviction in the Blair County Court.

In counts five and six, Miller and Zahradnik were charged with the illegal possession of a machine gun. Miller's plea does not include count six.

Count seven related that the two from May 2022 to April 17, 2023, transferred firearms to others, knowing their acts would constitute a felony.

Count eight states Miller and Zahradnik engaged in manufacturing and dealing in firearms without paying a special occupational tax required by U.S. law.

The last count concluded Miller and Zahradnik transferred riles, silencers and a machine gun conversion device knowing the items were not in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

The indictment also seeks forfeitures of more than 70 items found during searches: on Feb. 25 at 3312 Pleasant Valley Blvd.; March 22, at state game lands 166; April 27 at 816 Green Ave.; April 17 at 504 56th St.; April 27 from Piedmont Drive, Duncansville; April 27, from a white Ram truck, and April; 27, from a U-Haul Storage unit on Golf Drive, Altoona.