On October 30, 2024, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced that Brennan Trainor Rodriguez, 33, of Fort Worth, has been federally charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and illegal receipt of a firearm while under indictment. Rodriguez is on a 10-year deferred adjudication for supplying heroin in a 2013 overdose death.
In June 2013, Rodriguez was accused of injecting heroin into a 21-year-old man who died from a fatal overdose. He admitted to causing the death and began his deferred adjudication in November 2014, which prohibits him from owning firearms. Despite this restriction, allegations from his former girlfriend led to further investigation. She reported to police in August 2024 that Rodriguez had been stalking and harassing her following their breakup and claimed he regularly fired guns, including one that appeared to be fully automatic.
After Rodriguez was arrested for stalking the following week, authorities conducted a search of his home, where they found nine firearms. Among them was a Smith & Wesson rifle modified with a machine gun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “switch” or “auto sear,” enabling the firearm to function as fully automatic.
If convicted on the federal gun charges, Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. His pending state cases remain unresolved.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Dallas Field Division – Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Fort Worth Police Department are handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.
