Jan. 23, 2025- Two Columbus men will each serve time in prison for possessing a firearm with a machine gun conversion device.
According to court documents, Da’Quavious Robertson, 21, and Demontrell Lowe, 26, previously pled guilty in federal court to possession of a machine gun. Robertson and Lowe had each been found in possession of a Glock 9mm with a machine gun conversion device attached at a convenience store in Columbus in April 2023. Under Federal law, a firearm with a machine gun conversion device, commonly called a “Glock switch,” which is designed to convert a semi-automatic firearm to fully automatic, is considered a machine gun.
Robertson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills to 37 months incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Robertson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal following sentencing.
Lowe was previously sentenced in Greenville on July 17, 2024, by Chief U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown to 30 months incarceration followed by three years of supervised release.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner noted the importance of this prosecution and sentence in ongoing efforts to fight violent crime. “The illegal possession and use of machinegun conversion devices like the ones possessed in this case pose an ongoing safety concern,” said Joyner. “Glock switches increase the danger posed by semi-automatic weapons as they quickly and easily convert those firearms into much more lethal machine-guns. This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to see that those who unlawfully possess and use these devices are held accountable.”
“The illegal possession of handgun conversion devices is a significant threat to our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to anyone who possesses a switch to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun will not be tolerated. We will continue to focus our efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess these devices, remove another violent criminal from our streets, and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
This case was investigated by the S.T.I.N.G. unit of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.
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. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
