A Port Arthur man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Javier Jesus Morales, 26, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on October 27, 2020, Morales sold a Glock .9mm pistol to a federal agent acting in an undercover capacity after the agent responded to a posting on the social media forum “Snapchat” advertising for the sale. The Glock pistol was outfitted with an attached aftermarket “auto-switch.”
The auto-switch is a device used to convert a standard, legal handgun into a fully automatic machine gun, which if not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record is illegal to possess. The firearm was not registered to Morales.
Morales was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 2, 2022. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts.
Related Federal Cases
- Texas U.S. Attorneys Unleash ‘Operation Texas Kill Switch’ on Machinegun Conversion Devices · Arkansas
- Paul England, Ricin Mailing, Texas, 2020 · Texas
- One Safe Place, Gang and Firearm Crimes, Texas 2024 · New York
- Gary Wayne Blanton, Ammunition Possession, Texas 2024 · Texas
- Dimas Rodriguez, Gun Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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