NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) — A Wilmington man who sold a “ghost gun” to undercover agents was sentenced to six years in federal prison after he pled guilty to a number of drug and gun charges.

David Hedge, 22, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for the distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, according to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley. The charges also stem from the sale of a stolen gun and a privately manufactured gun, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun.”

“Non-serialized ghost guns are increasingly getting into the hands of drug traffickers and contributing to the violence in our communities,” Easley said Tuesday in a media release. “Working with the ATF and local law enforcement, we are holding accountable those pushing illegal guns and drugs. The ‘untraceable’ gun the defendant once bragged about has led to a very traceable prison sentence.”

Officials who were part of the exchange said Hedge bragged the “ghost gun” didn’t have a serial number and couldn’t be traced by law enforcement. According to court documents and other information presented during the case, Hedge sold an ounce of meth to an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent, which led to a conversation about the “ghost gun.”

According to court records, On Sept. 1, 2021, the agent asked Hedge if he had a gun. Hedge showed him a handgun with a high-capacity magazine loaded with 25 rounds. He told the undercover officer it was a “ghost gun” made by a 3-D printer. The agent bought the gun from Hedge.

On Sept. 8, 2021, Hedge also sold two undercover agents two loaded guns, one of which had been reported stolen, along with a half-ounce of meth.

The arrest was part of operation “Golfer,” part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation.

Hedge was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz prosecuted the case.