Jamie L. Pannell, Firearms Crimes, Ohio 2024

A Columbus man has been sentenced to prison for selling firearms with auto-conversion devices that can turn a gun into a fully automatic weapon. Jamie L. Pannell, 43, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 78 months in prison for firearms crimes.

According to court documents, Pannell sold multiple firearms, some including auto-conversion devices, to an undercover agent on multiple dates in April and May 2023. An auto-conversion device turns a firearm into a fully automatic weapon, allowing the entire magazine of bullets to be released in seconds with one pull of the trigger.

Pannell discussed switch devices with the undercover agent, noting the differences between metal and plastic switches, and promising he could deliver on the sale of switches in future transactions. The defendant then sold the agent additional firearms, two of which had switches.

In total, Pannell sold eight firearms as part of the controlled law enforcement transactions. As a previously convicted felon, Pannell is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. His past convictions also include violent crimes against women.

Pannell was charged federally in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2024 to illegally possessing firearms as a felon and possessing machineguns.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty represented the United States in this case. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence.

Pannell’s sentence is a result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF to combat firearms crimes in the Southern District of Ohio.

This case is a reminder of the serious consequences of selling firearms with auto-conversion devices. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who engage in such activities.

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