CAPE GIRARDEAU – In a stunning admission, Sidney Brianne Scowden, 41, of Stoddard County, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to selling seven machine gun conversion devices that turn AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles into fully automatic weapons.
Scowden, who appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., admitted her role in the conspiracy to transfer a machine gun and the actual transfers of said firearms. The plea comes after an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The 41-year-old woman sold three ‘lightning links’—also known as drop-in auto sears—for $500 each on August 11, 2022. Another three were sold on September 19, and one more on October 19 of the same year.
Under federal law, even without installation in a firearm, lightning links are classified as machine guns. Scowden’s outreach to potential buyers was conducted via Snapchat, where she asked, ‘You know anyone who wants to buy a lightning link for an AR to go fully automatic?’
Scowden faces serious penalties for her actions. If sentenced on May 9, she could be looking at up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, with each transfer of a machine gun carrying a maximum sentence of ten years and a $250,000 fine.
The ATF took the lead in this investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuting the case against Scowden.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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