An Alexander City man has been sentenced to 99 months in prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device.
Montgomery, AL – Alan Lyrenski Sandlin, a 23-year-old Alexander City man, was sentenced to 99 months in prison for unlawful possession of a machinegun.
On February 20, 2024, a federal judge handed down the sentence. Under federal law, federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
This conviction stems from a narcotics investigation in April 2023 in Goodwater, Alabama. During the investigation, law enforcement agents arrested Sandlin at a residence and searched the house, where they found a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches’ or ‘auto sears,’ are installed on firearms and allow the guns to function as fully automatic weapons capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second. These devices pose a significant threat to communities and law enforcement due to their rapid rates of fire.
The possession of a conversion device, under the relevant federal statute, is considered to be possession of a machine gun, making it illegal to have a machinegun conversion device, regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Alexander City Police Department, the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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