Jimmy Bender, Possessing a Machinegun, Florida 2024

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A 19-year-old Tallahassee man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun. Jimmy Bender, 19, was handed down the sentence by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, John P. Heekin.

According to court records, Bender was stopped by officers from the Tallahassee Police Department’s Violent Crimes Response Team while patrolling the southeastern part of the city. The officers had been responding to complaints of criminal activity in the area. During the stop, Bender was observed committing a traffic violation.

Upon removing Bender from the vehicle, officers discovered a Glock .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. The handgun was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device, or ‘Glock switch,’ which allows the firearm to shoot multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. The device is unlawful and renders the firearm a machinegun.

U.S. Attorney Heekin commended the hard work of state and federal law enforcement partners in removing a dangerous individual from the community. ‘Criminals considering carrying an illegally converted machinegun should know my office will aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,’ Heekin stated.

The conviction and sentence resulted from a joint investigation by the Violent Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Welch prosecuted the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Members of the public can access court documents online through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.

For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Related Federal Cases