Michael Lee Graves, 20, of Anchorage, Alaska, is behind bars and facing federal weapons charges after authorities say he tried to convert a handgun into a machinegun and built illegal silencers stamped with hate symbols. Graves was arrested May 7, 2019, on a criminal complaint charging him with illegal possession of a machinegun and possession of an unregistered firearm. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
The case began with a tip. On April 28, 2019, the FBI received a report that Graves was spewing racially motivated extremist views on social media, flaunting weapons, and sparking fears of potential violence. That same day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China addressed to “Mike G” in Anchorage. Inside: a full auto selector switch designed to turn a semi-automatic Glock handgun into a fully automatic killing machine—illegal under federal law and not an authentic Glock component.
On May 7, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed a controlled delivery. When Graves accepted the package, agents moved in. He allegedly admitted to ordering the selector switch online and confessed to manufacturing two unregistered silencers using parts bought over the internet. A search of his apartment turned up both silencers—one of them scrawled with a swastika and the numbers “1488,” a known white supremacist code.
Graves now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. Prosecutors stress that under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence will hinge on the severity of the offense and any prior criminal history. For now, Graves sits in custody, accused of stockpiling illegal weapons steeped in hate.
The investigation was a joint operation involving the FBI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sayers-Fay is prosecuting the case. Authorities highlight that the probe was sparked by a tip from an ordinary citizen—proof, they say, that vigilance can stop violence before it erupts.
The charges against Michael Lee Graves are allegations. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI urges anyone with information about extremist activity or illegal weapons to call 907-276-4441 or submit a tip online anonymously.
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