Smiley man charged with unlawful possession of machine gun

This story has been updated to include information from the Gonzales County Sheriff's Office.

A Smiley man has been charged with the unlawful possession of a machine gun, according to federal court filings obtained by the Inquirer.

A criminal complaint filed in the Texas Western District Court alleges that 19-year-old Caleb Nathaniel Oliver of Smiley, Texas, purchased an automatic weapon from an undercover officer in Wilson County.

If found guilty, this charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and $100 mandatory special assessment.

Criminal complaints are not considered evidence of guilt. They are charges levvied in a court of law, where defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The affidavit alleges that in September 2020, Oliver began meeting with an undercover FBI employee to secure the purchase of a weapon in various Wilson County locations, culminating in the purchase of an automatic weapon on Feb. 5, 2021.

A motion to hold Oliver in federal custody without bond has also been filed.

The complaint states that an undercover investigation into the “racially motivated violent extremism group” Iron Youth led to the arrest.