A North Carolina man accused of opening fire in a pizzeria with an assault rifle believing it was a hub for a Hillary Clinton pedophile ring is expected to plead guilty in a deal with federal prosecutors.

Lawyers said they had reached a plea deal for Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, at a status heading on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Terms of the plea were not discussed and Welch's lawyer declined to comment after the hearing.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, was arrested in December after he allegedly opened fire with an assault rifle in the Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C.

Police say Welch fired multiple shots inside the Comet Ping Pong restaurant on December 4 after driving from North Carolina to investigate a 'pizza-gate' conspiracy theory about Clinton was harboring child sex slaves.

The father of two had allegedly spent 45 minutes inside the pizzeria where he was said to be looking for secret tunnels identified in a series of fake news stories prior to the election.

Court records state he fired the rifle in the restaurant multiple times but later walked out with his hands up, leaving his rifle and other weapons inside.

No one was injured in the shooting.

He allegedly told police he had 'read online that the Comet restaurant was harboring child sex slaves and that he wanted to see for himself if they were there'.

Police say Welch had driven from North Carolina to investigate a 'pizza-gate' conspiracy theory about Clinton was harboring child sex slaves

Court records state Welch fired the rifle in the pizza restaurant (above) multiple times but later walked out with his hands up, leaving his rifle and other weapons inside

Welch, who said he has grown religious in recent years, said he 'was armed to help rescue them,' according to police.

Welch was charged with interstate transportation of a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence

Authorities said he 'surrendered peacefully' after finding 'no evidence that underage children were being harbored in the restaurant'.

Welch was charged with interstate transportation of a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.

His plea hearing will be March 24.

The origins of the conspiracy theory are still unclear.

Some elements trace back to hacked emails from Clinton chief of staff John Podesta that were released by Wikileaks and refer to pizza parties, with online commentators speculating that 'pizza party' is code for something nefarious.

Comet Ping Pong had been pulled into the conspiracy in November, which the restaurant's owner owner James Alefantis flatly denied.