PEORIA, IL – Anthony Q. Johnson, 19, of Peoria, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for 50 months after pleading guilty to possessing a handgun illegally converted into a machinegun. The sentence, handed down on August 2nd by Senior U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, reflects the seriousness of the charge and the danger posed by such modifications.
The case stemmed from a January 2023 incident on North Flora Avenue where Johnson allegedly pulled a handgun during an altercation. When his assailant fled in a vehicle, Johnson opened fire, with bullets striking a nearby parked mini-van. Witnesses and the city’s ShotSpotter system indicated the rate of fire was consistent with a fully-automatic weapon. Police recovered 13 spent .40 caliber shell casings at the scene.
A subsequent search of residences linked to Johnson uncovered a Glock Model 27 .40 caliber pistol equipped with a “Glock Switch” – a readily available device that bypasses standard firearm safety mechanisms, allowing for fully-automatic fire. Agents also seized an AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, a .22 caliber revolver, and an alarming cache of ammunition, including extended magazines capable of holding up to 50 rounds. The Glock pistol was confirmed to function as a fully-automatic machinegun during testing.
Federal investigators were able to link the casings found at the January shooting to another incident in August 2021, suggesting a pattern of reckless gun violence. Johnson was initially arrested on a federal complaint in January and indicted by a grand jury in February. He remained in custody of the U.S. Marshals pending sentencing. The Glock Model 27 has been forfeited to the government.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, with the investigation conducted by the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force (PAFF). The maximum penalty for possession of a machinegun is 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release. Johnson will also serve a three-year term of supervised release following his 50-month sentence.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a violent crime reduction strategy aimed at fostering trust between law enforcement and communities, supporting violence prevention programs, and strategically prioritizing enforcement efforts. The goal: to make neighborhoods safer by tackling gun violence at its source.
Related Federal Cases
- John Doe, Illegal Handgun Possession, Peoria IL, 2023 · Illinois
- Shawn D’Anthony Brown, Illegal Firearm Possession, LA 2024 · Illinois
- Daniel Anthony Garcia, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, CO 2024 · Illinois
- Shawn D’Anthony Brown, Loaded Firearm Possession, LA 2016 · Illinois
- Mark Anthony Crawford, Loaded Firearm Possession, LA 2024 · Illinois
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
