Tampa, FL – In a shocking display of blatant disregard for federal law, convicted felon Phillip Michael Valeriani (41, Plant City) has been arrested and charged with smuggling machinegun conversion devices into the United States, possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession of unregistered machineguns and a silencer.
According to a complaint filed by the United States Attorney’s Office, Valeriani faces up to 20 years in federal prison for smuggling machinegun conversion devices, up to 15 years for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of an unregistered machinegun and silencer.
The investigation began in April 2024, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a suspicious package shipped from Shenzhen, China and destined for a residence in Plant City. The package contained 63 machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as ‘Glock switches.’ A Glock switch is an illegal conversion device that converts a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon.
Under the National Firearms Act, a Glock switch is classified as a machinegun. After confirming Valeriani was the intended recipient of the package containing the 63 Glock switch parts, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Valeriani’s residence, where they seized a plethora of illicit items, including firearms, ammunition, a silencer, narcotics, a tactical vest with ballistic plates, and FBI and DEA raid jackets.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Plant City Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa International Airport Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Haynes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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