11 people charged with machine gun offenses in Montgomery

Federal prosecutors say eleven people have been indicted on charges relating to possession of machine guns in Montgomery.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross says each of the machine guns was a semiautomatic firearm that had been converted to fully automatic through the installation of a machine gun conversion device.

Machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears,” allow the guns to function as a fully automatic weapon, capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second. Ross says they have grown in popularity over the past few years and, due to their rapid rate of fire, pose a significant threat to communities and law enforcement.

He says the possession of a machine gun, which, under the relevant federal statute, includes the possession of a conversion device alone, carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Here is a list of the people who have been indicted:

Shykeem Kartarell Grant, 21 – Possession of a machine gun; felon in possession of a firearm; tampering with a witness by intimidation or threats

Quadarius Deandre Lindsey, 30 – Possession of a machine gun; felon in possession of a firearm

Deandre Nyquan Lucas, 20 – Possession of a machine gun

Clarence Anthony McCall, 20 – Possession of a machine gun (two counts)

Vandarius Jamal Parks, 21 – Possession of a machine gun

Tavius Smith, 23 – Possession of a machine gun

My’qurious Xavier Solomon, 19 – Possession of a machine gun; tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats

Dequarius Dewayne Thornton, 26 – Possession of a machine gun; illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment

Cammeron Leroy Youngblood, 23 – Possession of a machine gun; illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment

Keonte Martin, 20 – Possession of a machine gun

Jaxon Smith, 19 – Possession of a machine gun

The maximum sentence for the various other charges are: up to 15 years in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense; up to 5 years in prison for illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment; and up to 20 years in prison for tampering with a witness by intimidation and threats.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The Montgomery Police Department and the ATF investigated these cases, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Trials for Martin and Jaxon Smith are scheduled for January 8, 2024.

— Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Alabama