Kody Severin Charged with 100 Machine Gun Converters

New Orleans, Louisiana – A 25-year-old man stands accused of stockpiling an arsenal capable of turning ordinary firearms into battlefield-style weapons. Kody Severin, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged January 26, 2023, in a seven-count federal indictment that includes possession of approximately 100 machine gun conversion devices—tools designed to fire rounds in rapid succession like fully automatic weapons.

According to the indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Severin is charged in Count 1 with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D). That charge carries a maximum of 5 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 2 years of supervised release. But it’s the weapons charges that escalate the stakes—dramatically.

Count 2 charges Severin with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a charge that brings a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to life in prison—sentence to run consecutively. Counts 3 and 6 charge him with possession of firearms by a convicted felon, each carrying a maximum of 15 years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years supervised release.

Count 4 accuses Severin of possession of approximately 100 machineguns—defined under federal law as machine gun conversion devices under Title 26, United States Code, Section 5845(b)—in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). That count alone brings up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Count 5 adds possession of unregistered firearms, including silencers, destructive devices, and the same 100 conversion devices, punishable by up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.

Severin isn’t just facing charges for weapons and drugs—he’s accused of trying to cover his tracks. Count 7 charges him with attempted obstruction of justice under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(1), a felony that carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Each count also includes a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans emphasized that the indictment is merely a charge—and that the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. For now, Severin remains in federal custody, staring down a potential life sentence.