Editors Note: The following press release is directly from ATF. Regular readers of AmmoLand News know our stance on the unaccountable Federal Agency: No comment. We invite our readers to leave their hard-hitting insights in the comments below.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN –-(AmmoLand.com)- At a 3:00 p.m. press conference in Benton Harbor this afternoon, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten was joined by several local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement officials to announce that, earlier today, eleven men from Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan were charged with drug trafficking and firearms crimes. Five were arrested this morning, and five were in custody on prior charges. Seven men face charges related to the possession and transfer of firearm conversion devices, known as “switches,” which transform ordinary semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machineguns. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, a switch can be installed with little technical knowledge in approximately one minute. Once installed, it can enable a semi-automatic pistol to fire over 1,000 rounds per minute with a single trigger pull.
“Today’s action represents a major step forward in our efforts to combat the rise of violent crime in Michigan,” said Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “The destructive capacity of a firearm equipped with a switch is staggering. These devices are an emerging threat to our communities, our children, our law enforcement officers, and anyone who stands in the path of their indiscriminate spray.” Totten also commended the joint law-enforcement effort behind today’s action: “These charges represent a remarkable, multi-agency effort that involved the FBI and ten other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners working together to keep West Michigan families safe.”
Approximately 200 law enforcement officers executed the arrest and search warrants early this morning in Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, and St. Joseph, Michigan, as well as Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“Fighting violent crime requires approaches tailored to the needs of individual communities. That is why our approach to disrupting this conspiracy to distribute firearms, switches, and drugs involved the kind of coordination you see here today,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Michigan. “I believe it is the sacred duty of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to ensure people can live free from fear in their own homes and neighborhoods, and we will all continue to do everything we can to protect our communities from violent crime.”
“Conversion devices are not simple firearms parts or metal accessories, as commonly advertised. When a person uses an illegally converted weapon that shoots multiple rounds by a single function, it poses an even more serious threat to public safety,” said Craig Kailimai, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Detroit Field Division. “The collaborative effort and commitment between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our Federal, State of Michigan, and Local partners to investigate and prosecute these cases protects our communities from this violent threat.”
The investigation was led by the FBI, acting in cooperation with the Michigan State Police Southwest Enforcement Team (“SWET”), ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Benton Township Police Department, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Tribal Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, and United States Postal Inspection Service.
The charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. A copy of the criminal complaint can be found here.
Law enforcement continues to search for Eric Williams. Members of the public with information as to Williams’s whereabouts are encouraged to contact the United States Marshals Service at (616) 456-2438. He is believed to be located in either Benton Harbor or Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the federal firearms and explosives laws and regulations. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.
1st things 1st, where can I get a 1000 round magazine…. Besides the fact the barrel would burst into flames around 500 I’m guessing. These dipshit political crusaders think they just solved the worlds gun problem. The problem isn’t the gun, it’s the dumbass behind it…and yes, why is it always Glocks ? There are so many ways to modify your firearm, but these people all want to do it for $20. You should instead drug test everyone on welfare, about 2 hours after they get their check. The 200 billion saved every month would be a great start for… Read more »
If I were to select a jack-booted group of fascists who are perhaps as large a danger to American society as I could pick today, I would pick BATF [the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms]. – U.S. Representative John Dingell, 1980
I see the government thugs are bragging about armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and violation of rights again.
Leftists have machine gun brains. Devices like this are correspondent to a list of mechanical functions like car repair, washing machines, lawnmowers. air conditioners, maybe even hand buzzers from a joke shop.
Kind of the reverse of Sgt. York.
400 for one school shooter. And no one in charge.
What IS a threat to this country is the atfe. Any government agency which swears oath and allegiance to the people, the nation and the constitution and then disavows that oath is treasonous to the oath, to the people, to the nation and to the constitution. Treason, tyranny, murder, murder by proxy, assault, battery, theft, trespassing, breaking and entering, threats and intimidation are some, not all, of the crimes THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN the atfe do, and those who support them, those who fund them are also guilty as equal partners. SEVERAL of the listed crimes carry the death… Read more »
F*ck those jack booted atf assholes and their extended families!!!
Lumps of coal and carbon monoxide poisoning all around.
PUBLISH THIER HOME ADDRESSES. NO JACK BOOTED ANTI CONSTITUTIONAL ASSHOLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRAW A TAX FUNDED PAYCHECK FROM AN ANONYMOUS ADDRESS.
No “AMERICAN” would work for atf. atf agents could give America a present for Christmas…….Kill themselves! F em!!!!!
I wonder if ATF has contacted Glock firearms and told them to change the pistols where these devices won’t work on them?
I don’t remember seeing any photos of other brand of handguns with this device on it.
Crooks miss a lot as it is. They well miss more with a machine pistol then a semi auto.