OKLAHOMA CITY – Phillip Niles Martin, 68, of Oklahoma City, has confessed to running an illegal firearms operation, dodging federal regulations and profiting off the street. Martin pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of firearms trafficking conspiracy and unlawful possession of a machinegun, bringing to a close a case that exposed a brazen disregard for the law and a hefty stockpile of weapons.
This wasn’t Martin’s first dance with the ATF. Records show the Bureau had flagged him twice before. In 2013, he received a warning for dealing firearms without a license, even being told a license wouldn’t allow him to operate at local swap meets. Then, in 2020, a gun he’d sold ended up at a crime scene in Mexico, prompting a cease-and-desist letter. Clearly, that didn’t stick.
ATF agents began receiving tips in June 2022 that Martin was back at it, hawking firearms at Oklahoma City swap meets. The investigation revealed Martin wasn’t just skirting the law – he was actively breaking it. He sold guns for roughly double the retail price, skipping mandatory background checks and lining his pockets with illicit profits. He operated with a clear intent to evade regulations and maximize profit, putting dangerous weapons into potentially dangerous hands.
A search of Martin’s residence turned up a shocking arsenal: 194 firearms, a significant cache of ammunition, and a staggering $469,520 in cash. But the haul didn’t stop there. Agents also seized a “switch,” a device that transforms a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun – a clear violation of federal law. This wasn’t just about illegal sales; it was about turning ordinary firearms into instruments of extreme firepower.
Martin has agreed to forfeit everything seized – the 194 firearms, the ammunition, the nearly half a million dollars in cash, and the illegal machinegun conversion device. He now faces up to 25 years in federal prison and fines totaling up to $500,000. The sentencing is scheduled for approximately 90 days from now. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly is prosecuting the case.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. This specific effort, dubbed “Project Switch Off” within the Western District of Oklahoma, focuses on dismantling the illegal market for machinegun conversion devices like the one found in Martin’s possession, acknowledging the extreme danger these devices pose to public safety.
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