Jackson Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Possessing a Machinegun
In a disturbing trend, the Southern District of Mississippi U.S. Attorney’s Office is sounding the alarm on the growing threat of machinegun conversion devices, also known as ‘switches.’
On February 9, 2024, Kylin Demond Russell, 22, led Capitol Police officers on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph, after failing to yield for a traffic stop.
When his vehicle ultimately came to a stop, he attempted to flee on foot, was detained, and two Glock pistols with attached MCDs were found in the vehicle.
Russell was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 21, 2024, and pled guilty on May 2, 2024, to possession of a machinegun.
Russell was sentenced on August 9, 2024, to two years in prison. He will not be eligible for parole because there is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, a vehicle driven by Russell appears to match the description of a vehicle seen in a video, taken by a citizen in Jackson and widely distributed online, showing a person firing a weapon from the vehicle.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi warned of the increasing threat from machinegun conversion devices, also known as ‘switches.’
In a separate case, Javarius McDonald, of Jackson, pled guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun conversion device, also known as a switch, that was attached to his Glock pistol.
According to court documents, on December 4, 2023, McDonald, 19, was stopped by Ridgeland Police for a window tint violation because the windows in the vehicle he was driving appeared too tinted under state law.
Officers smelled marijuana while speaking with McDonald and performed a probable cause search of the vehicle. Officers recovered a Glock with an attached machinegun conversion device underneath the driver’s seat.
McDonald is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2024, and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has seen an increase in cases involving illegal firearm conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches’ or ‘auto sears,’ which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons (i.e., machineguns) in a matter of seconds.
The rapid fire of firearms converted to machineguns presents a significant danger in our community to both the public and law enforcement.
An individual found in possession of a Glock or auto-sear switch will face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under federal law.
According to a 2023 report by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), there was a 570% increase in the number of machinegun conversion devices taken into ATF custody between 2017 and 2021.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee emphasized, ‘I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous ‘switches’ and other devices are that make a semi-automatic gun a fully automatic machinegun.’
‘They can be readily purchased online or printed with 3D printers, and they lead to more carnage on the streets, including a higher likelihood of bystanders being hit by gunfire.’
Machinegun conversion devices are illegal under federal law and Mississippi state law, and seizures of these devices have gone up exponentially across the nation in the last several years.
The Department of Justice and our state and local partners are extremely focused on taking persons off the street who possess and use machinegun conversion devices.’
Defendant: Kylin Demond Russell
Criminal Charges: Possession of a Machinegun
City and State: Jackson, Mississippi
Date: February 9, 2024
Sentence: Two years in prison
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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