DETROIT – – A man who illegally possessed a handgun equipped with an auto-sear, commonly known as a Glock switch, which is designed to convert the handgun into an automatic weapon, was sentenced in federal court yesterday, it was announced US Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
United States Attorney Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Paul D. Vanderplow, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division.
U.S. District Linda V. Parker sentenced Dion Davis, 19, of Detroit, Michigan, to 41 months in prison for illegally possessing multiple firearms. Davis was indicted in July 2021 and pleaded guilty in May 2022.
At sentencing, the government presented evidence that on April 25, 2021, Davis went live on Instagram, boasting about his possession of an illegal machine gun with a device known as an auto sear, a square thumbnail-sized device known on the street as a “switch” that turns the gun from a semi-automatic to an automatic weapon. Five days later, federal agents recovered the weapon from Davis while executing a search warrant. Davis had attracted the attention of federal agents after being involved in several shootings on Detroit’s east side. At the time he was in possession of the firearm with the override switch, Davis was on pretrial release for felony charges in both Wayne and Macomb counties.
Law enforcement has determined that Davis is affiliated with the “700 Gang,” which is also known as the “Wax Gang” and “4GTMT.” Over a three-year period, twelve members of the 700 gang were charged with violent or firearm-related crimes. According to court records, at the time of his arrest, Davis had fueled a feud with a rival gang by participating in shootings, taunting and threatening rival gang members on social media and constantly displaying his unrestricted access to firearms.
“The sole and exclusive purpose of Glock switches, which can be easily manufactured, is to transform an already dangerous firearm into an extremely dangerous machine gun,” said US Attorney Ison. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who use and possess these dangerous devices in our community.”
“Conversion devices are NOT simple firearm parts or accessories, but machine guns under federal law. The men and women of the ATF will find and remove from society these violent criminals who continue to terrorize our state,” said Paul Vanderplow, ATF Special Agent in Charge. ATF proudly stands with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in the state of Michigan to prosecute these individuals.”
The case against Davis is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings 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 26 May 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy that strengthens the PSN based on these core principles: promote trust and legitimacy in our communities, support community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, focus and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Barbara Lanning.
