Franklin Man, Alexander Clark, Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for 3-D Printing and Trafficking Firearms and Glock Switches.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (USPress.News) Alexander Clark, 28, of Franklin, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began to investigate Alexander Clark based on occasions in which he sold privately made firearms. Over a one-month period, Clark was observed selling five Glock-style pistols that were made with the use of a 3-D printer for the frames, a 3-D printed AR-15 rifle lower receiver, and two machinegun conversion devices.
Machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called “Glock switches” or “auto-sears,” are devices that convert ordinary semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Machinegun conversion devices are themselves considered machine guns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal to possess or sell in almost all cases.
On Aug. 22, 2022, ATF agents searched Clark’s home and located multiple firearms, machine guns, silencers, firearm accessories, and a 3-D printer with other electronic devices in aid of 3-D printing.
In total, Clark possessed seven machine guns, 27 machinegun conversion devices, and seven silencers, none of which were legally registered.
“Machinegun conversion devices are an urgent public safety challenge—an ordinary pistol equipped with a conversion device and an extended magazine can fire 31 rounds in just two seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Criminals like this defendant exploit modern technology to illegally manufacture deadly weapons and illegally arm others, including felons and juveniles. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that our office is committed to making our communities safer by getting these devices off our streets and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable.”
“Machine gun conversion devices, which convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, are one of the most serious challenges facing ATF and our law enforcement partners at the moment,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “These conversion devices increase the lethality of a firearm while also reducing the ability of the person firing the weapon to control where they shoot. This combination is deadly and random and represents a clear threat to our community. We will work with our partners to remove these devices and those who are manufacturing and selling them from our streets.”
SOURCE: ATF
