Machine Gun Possession Conviction: Kevin Dixon Faces 20 Years Behind Bars

Federal Jury Convicts Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun in Chicago Suburb

CHICAGO — A federal jury has delivered a guilty verdict against 27-year-old Kevin Dixon of Midlothian, Ill., for his role in illegally possessing a machine gun in a Chicago suburb.

Dixon was found guilty on April 19, 2024, of two felony counts: illegal possession of a machine gun and illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall set sentencing for September 10, 2024. The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Alfred Phillips, Chief of the Lansing, Ill. Police Department.

The evidence presented during the week-long trial revealed that Dixon was in possession of a Glock handgun equipped with a ‘switch’ device, also known as a ‘Glock switch,’ on June 6, 2021, in his vehicle in Lansing, Ill. Dixon initially crashed into another car and then sped off, leading to a high-speed chase that ended with him firing several gunshots and colliding with two vehicles before fleeing on foot.

Law enforcement apprehended Dixon a short time later. The conviction marks a significant victory in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to combat violent crime in the Northern District of Illinois through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through federal prosecution.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Totten and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Fox. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, and the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Kevin Dixon, 27, of Midlothian, Ill., now faces a potentially 20-year sentence, as he was found guilty of two felony counts, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. Sentencing is set for September 10, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall.