Kody Severin Charged with 100 Machine Gun Devices

NEW ORLEANS, LA — A 25-year-old New Orleans man is staring down a federal firestorm after a grand jury indicted him on seven counts tied to an arsenal of illegal weapons, drugs, and a brazen attempt to obstruct justice. KODY SEVERIN now faces a potential mountain of prison time after being caught with approximately 100 machine gun conversion devices—tools that turn semi-automatic firearms into untraceable, rapid-fire weapons flooding America’s streets.

The charges, handed down January 26, 2023, accuse SEVERIN of possessing the conversion devices as machineguns under Title 26, U.S. Code, Section 5845(b)—a federal crime under Section 922(o). Each device is a silent trigger for chaos, and SEVERIN allegedly had nearly a hundred. Count 5 of the indictment adds that he possessed unregistered firearms, including silencers and destructive devices, in violation of Section 5861(d), further deepening the severity of the weapons charges.

But the indictment doesn’t stop at guns. Count 1 charges SEVERIN with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute—carrying a maximum of 5 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 2 years of supervised release. That charge spirals into Count 2: possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years—up to life—tacked on consecutively, meaning no parole, no shortcuts, just federal lockup.

As a convicted felon, SEVERIN is legally barred from owning any firearm. Yet he’s charged twice—under Counts 3 and 6—with violating Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 922(g)(1), each carrying a maximum of 15 years, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years of supervised release. The repetition suggests repeated offenses, a pattern that federal prosecutors will hammer home in court.

Then comes Count 7: attempted obstruction of justice under Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1512(b)(1). This charge doesn’t just imply guilt—it suggests SEVERIN knew he was breaking the law and tried to cover his tracks. If proven, it carries a maximum of 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine. Combined with the other counts, the total exposure is staggering—potentially multiple life sentences.

The investigation was a joint operation between the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit is leading the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans emphasized that the indictment is not a conviction—yet the evidence, if proven, paints a picture of a young man deep in the gears of federal crime: guns, drugs, and deception. The case now moves toward trial, where SEVERIN’s fate—and the city’s safety—hang in the balance.