Three Montgomery men sent to federal prison for illegal machine gun conversions
Three Montgomery men have been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing machine guns.
Each of the machine guns at issue was a semi-automatic firearm that had been converted to fully automatic through the installation of a machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch” or "auto sear," said Jonathan S. Ross, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
Auto sears, sometimes called Glock switches, are devices placed on semi-automatic firearms to make them fire automatically. A semi-automatic fires one round with each trigger pull. An automatic weapon fires rounds as long as the trigger is pulled, or until ammunition runs out.
The devices are illegal. Law enforcement agencies throughout the country have reported encountering the devices more and more.
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Sentenced were Deandre Nyquan Lucas, 20, to 120 months in federal prison. In an unrelated case, Cammeron Leroy Youngblood, 27, was sentenced to 27 months, and Derrick Dontrell Taylor, 27, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. Possessing the auto sear is considered to be the same as illegally possessing a machine gun and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Due to their rapid rate of fire, these conversion devices pose a significant threat to communities and law enforcement,” said Ross. “Not too long ago, these devices were rare. Unfortunately, in a very short period of time, they have become common in communities across the district. The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners place a high priority on investigating and prosecuting cases involving the possession of one of these devices.”
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosive and the Montgomery Police Department.
People can legally possess machine guns in America, but owning machines guns requires an extensive FBI background check and the paying of a $200-per-weapon tax.
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Glock switches have been in the news locally. On April 15, 2023, a mass shooting in Dadeville left four people dead and 32 injured. The shooting happened at a Sweet 16 birthday party. Testimony in a preliminary hearing brought out investigators felt some of the guns used in the shooting had been illegally converted to fire automatically.
In June nine people were shot, receiving non-life threatening injuries, and four others injured in a mass shooting at an outdoor party in Montgomery’s North Pass neighborhood. Investigators recovered more than 350 spent pistol and rifle rounds. Footage posted to social media of the shooting appears to record weapons firing automatically.
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Montgomery police in news conference after the shooting said weapons were used that had been illegally converted to fire automatically.
There is no evidence to suggest that the men sentenced to federal prison recently were involved in the Dadeville and North Pass shootings.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery men get prison time for 'Glock switch' gun conversions
