Gymea bus driver Brett Peterson admits to stockpiling illegal guns

A man came under the notice of the Home Affairs Department for importing parts to manufacture firearms, specifically a 3D-printable semiautomatic pistol. Find out what happened next.

Brett Peterson, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to 23 charges of firearms, weapons and drug possession. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A bus driver has admitted to having a stockpile of guns and weapons at his home after he came under police notice for importing firearms.

Brett Peterson, 59, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to 23 charges of possessing firearms, weapons and drugs.

Peterson, of Gymea, was arrested in July following an investigation into the importation and manufacture of 3D printed firearms and was granted release the following day.

Agreed facts tendered to court state the Department of Home Affairs identified Peterson as importing parts and tools to manufacture firearms, specifically a FGC-9 Hybrid, which is a 3D-printable semiautomatic pistol.

Police said the parts included “steel pipe explosions”, which were commonly used as the barrel for a firearm, as well as rifling buttons and a scope.

The bus driver was arrested following an investigation into the importation and manufacture of 3D printed firearms. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Peterson had imported a number of items from a shopping list in a Deterrence Dispensed FGC-9 construction manual, court documents state.

Analysis of PayPal and other account data showed Peterson had purchased 10 of the 44 items listed in the shopping list between May 2020 and May 2022.

Police said Peterson had imported up to 50 items consistent with the manufacture of a privately-made firearm.

The documents state further analysis of Peterson’s PayPal account showed he had purchased, imported and had delivered to his home crossbow bolts, arrow shaft and arrowheads, a laser and wood grip, which investigators were being used to manufacture crossbows; as well as items to make a taser gun.

Peterson had not held a firearms or dealer’s licence nor was a registered user in any state.

Brett Peterson is expected to be sentenced in December at Sutherland Local Court.

Police stopped Peterson on July 19 about 12.20pm at Taren Point where they searched his car and found a small amount of the drug methamphetamine.

Investigators then searched his home, where Peterson admitted he had three rifles, two of which belonged to his father and an air rifle, along with cannabis and more meth.

Officers found the rifles Peterson had told them about and seized four crossbows, two expandable batons and pellets for the air rifle.

Two days after his arrest, Peterson was issued with a firearms prohibition order.

The agreed facts did not reveal if nor where the imported firearm parts were located or the reason why he had the firearms and weapons.

Peterson was pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm; four counts of possessing an unregistered prohibited firearm; two counts of possessing ammunition without a licence; 10 counts of possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit; five counts of possessing a prohibited drug while a charge of receiving a firearm barrel by mail was withdrawn in court.

The court previously heard, during his bail application in July, that Peterson worked part time at his partner’s daughter’s transport business, Plan B Transport, as a bus driver.

He had been bailed to address in Kurnell but in September successfully applied to return to his Gymea home where the guns were seized.

Meanwhile, Peterson has also been charged and pleaded guilty to driving while his licence was suspended at Woolooware on September 10 this year,

Magistrate Phillip Stewart adjourned the case for a sentence assessment report could be prepared with Peterson due back in court on December 20.