Tyngsborough Officer, Associate Face Charges Of Conspiring To Violate National Firearms Act

Two men were arrested Wednesday on federal charges of conspiracy to violate the National Firearms Act.

Daniel Whitman, 36, of Pelham, New Hampshire, and Bin Lu, 49, a Chinese national living in Westford, Massachusetts, allegedly made, possessed and failed to register short-barreled rifles, as well as possessed a firearm suppressor without proper registration, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office for Massachusetts.

Whitman, according to a criminal complaint, is an officer with the Tyngsborough Police Department and owner and principal manager of a retail gun shop called "Hitman Firearms, LLC" in the same town. Lu is a manager at Hitman Firearms and an investor in the store.

The complaint also alleged the two men sought to build a large indoor shooting range for local and international customers. The U.S. attorney's office said the two men ran firearms training camps for foreign nationals already, but never applied or received required licenses to do so from the U.S. Department of State.

The charge of conspiracy holds a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The two defendants are expected to make initial appearances on Wednesday in Boston's federal court.