A Kansas City, Missouri man, Antonio Manning, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy and illegal firearms trafficking charges, including the sale of a handgun converted into a machine gun. The plea was entered before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips. Manning, 23, joined an agreement to sell firearms to individuals prohibited from possessing them due to federal law. According to the plea, the defendants trafficked 22 firearms, including those converted into unregistered machine guns. Manning admitted personal involvement in selling at least nine firearms, one of which was an unregistered machine gun.
His brother, Sheron Manning, previously pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025, to similar charges. Co-defendant Michael Dewayne Hardy also pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025. Antonio Manning could face up to 30 years in federal prison. Sentencing will follow after a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national program aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.
