Kaydence K. Robertson, Possession of a Machine Gun, Missouri 2022

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO – A late-night traffic stop in October turned into a federal case, landing 21-year-old Kaydence K. Robertson of Cape Girardeau behind bars for 51 months. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp delivered the sentence Monday after Robertson pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal machine gun.

The bust began with a simple speeding violation. On October 23, 2022, a Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over Robertson’s vehicle. What followed wasn’t a traffic ticket, but the discovery of a packed arsenal. A search of the vehicle revealed a backpack on the driver’s side floor containing marijuana, suspected crack cocaine, and a .45-caliber Glock pistol rigged with a dangerous modification: a 3D-printed “switch.”

These “auto sears,” as they’re sometimes called, aren’t just accessories. Federal law considers them machine guns, even when they aren’t actively installed in a firearm. The deputy didn’t stop there. Under the driver’s seat, they found a loaded 9mm Glock pistol and pills containing oxycodone. Robertson’s vehicle quickly became a mobile crime scene.

Robertson quickly admitted guilt, pleading guilty in February to the single count of possession of a machine gun. The case, swiftly built by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), demonstrates a rapid response to illegal firearm modifications. The ATF has been increasingly focused on 3D-printed switches, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like fully automatic machine guns.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case, securing the 51-month sentence. While the sentence delivers a measure of justice, it also highlights the growing problem of readily available, easily manufactured components that can turn ordinary handguns into deadly weapons. The proliferation of 3D-printed gun parts is a major concern for federal law enforcement.

Robertson will now serve his sentence in a federal correctional facility. The case serves as a stark reminder that modifying a firearm to function as a machine gun carries severe penalties, and that local law enforcement, working with federal agencies like the ATF, are actively working to keep these dangerous weapons off the streets of Cape Girardeau and beyond.

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