CHICAGO, IL – A 20-year-old Oak Forest man is facing serious federal charges after allegedly peddling illegal Glock switches – devices that transform ordinary handguns into fully automatic machine guns – to an undercover officer. Anthony Prisco, already on probation for a prior firearm conviction, is accused of trafficking 25 of the dangerous conversion devices, along with a 3D printer used to manufacture them.
According to a federal indictment unsealed Friday, Prisco allegedly sold the Glock switches, a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and the 3D printer in June to an undercover law enforcement officer. These “Glock switches,” also known as “auto sears,” allow a handgun to fire multiple rounds with a single trigger pull, effectively turning it into a weapon typically restricted to military and law enforcement. The Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad assisted in the investigation.
Federal prosecutors say Prisco was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to his prior conviction. Despite this, he allegedly engaged in the illegal sale, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the law. He’s currently being held without bond, and his arraignment is scheduled for August 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain. Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera is prosecuting the case.
The case is being spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, led by Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual, and the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), headed by Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon. This investigation is part of a larger, national effort to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and curb gun violence.
Officials say this prosecution falls under the Department of Justice’s Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, a cross-jurisdictional initiative aimed at identifying and dismantling networks that supply illegal weapons. It’s also a component of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a DOJ program focused on reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement.
If convicted on the charges of illegally possessing and transferring machine guns, and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, Prisco faces up to 10 years in federal prison per charge. The indictment serves as an allegation, and Prisco is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The government bears the burden of proof.
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