Possession of Machinegun Conversion Device Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Two Years

OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTHONY DEWAYNE TAYLOR, 20, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On September 5, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Taylor with unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, on April 6, 2023, Bethany Police Department officers pulled Taylor over for a traffic violation. When asked to provide a license and vehicle registration, Taylor handed the officer a learner’s permit that had been cut in half. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement located under the driver’s seat a handgun that had been modified with a conversion device. This conversion device is commonly known as a “switch,” which converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Taylor also attempted to flee on foot during the traffic stop but, after a brief pursuit, was apprehended and arrested.

On December 12, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty, admitting that he possessed the “switch” and knew that it turned the firearm into a fully automatic machinegun.

At the sentencing hearing on June 6, 2024, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Taylor to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the seriousness of Taylor’s actions and the danger posed by conversion devices.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bethany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.