A resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is facing a potential 20 years in prison for supplying another individual with hundreds of 3D printed gun components. The FBI conducted a sting operation that caught Andrew Scott Hastings, 25, in its net. Hastings apparently showed no scruples in his willingness to supply these parts to an undercover FBI agent who claimed to be an al-Qaida operative. This is an interesting case, brought to light by 3D Printing Industry news, as it pits cherished freedom of speech and gun rights against the need to protect the public from terrorist atrocities.
The formal charge that Hastings faces is “attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and for the illegal possession and transfer of a machine-gun,” according to the publication.
Tip of the iceberg
Hastings put himself on the FBI's radar as an unscrupulous individual who promoted violence in support of global jihad through his online presence and participation in various forum discussions.
Dealing in 3D printed gun parts was the tip of the iceberg, though, as far as Hastings’ willingness to help enemies of the U.S. went. As well as home-made gun components, the Oklahoman was happy to share “over 500 pages of personal notes and Army manuals on weapons manufacturing and military tactics,” says 3D Printing Industry. He was also allegedly interested in creating nuclear weapons, using drones, wielding cyberattacks, evading law enforcement, as well as the use of tunneling strategies made popular by the likes of Hamas.
It might be surprising to hear that Hastings once served in the U.S. Army National Guard (as an aircraft powertrain repairer). The source says he allegedly traveled abroad without reporting his trip, which is a no-no given his military position. Moreover, it is reported that Hastings voluntarily discharged from the Guard on June 6, 2025, which was during the course of this investigation.
Caught red-handed?
As indicated in the intro, the FBI managed to cozy up to Hastings via an undercover agent who claimed to have al-Qaida links. As a result of the contact, the accused purportedly provided a link to a website offering 3D-printed machine-gun conversion parts. Subsequent recorded footage showed Hastings fulfilling these orders. Specifically, packages containing over 100 of these 3D printed parts, as well as handgun parts, and sundry terrorist-friendly bits and pieces were posted by Hastings.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force's involvement in the investigation, we note that there was support and involvement from the Army Counterintelligence Command, ATF, and Tulsa Police Department.
Hastings has made an initial court appearance in relation to the federal charges, which were unsealed in late September. We don't have an official trial date for the charges at the time of writing, and we don't know Hastings' plea.
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