KC Reporter

A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with possessing hundreds of homemade devices designed to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.

“Law enforcement agencies in our area and nationwide report a disturbing increase in the number of machine gun conversion devices that quickly and easily transform a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Machine gun conversion devices are often cheap and homemade, just a small piece of metal or plastic that converts a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war. These dangerously lethal and illegal weapons pose a threat to both public safety and the safety of law enforcement officers."

“Using these devices is illegal. Selling these devices is illegal. And being in possession of these devices is also illegal,” added Moore. “The Department of Justice is making it a priority to combat the spread of these deadly weapons as a focus of our strategy to drive down violent crime.”

Dalton R. Johnston, 27, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Sept. 24. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Johnston’s arrest.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Johnston used his 3-D printer to manufacture machine gun conversion devices, which he sold in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Machine gun conversion devices, or MCDs, also known as "switches" or "auto sears," are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law.

“In support of the DOJ’s newly established Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Devices, ATF will continue to work nonstop to disrupt the manufacturing and possession of machine gun conversion devices,” said Bernard G. Hansen, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division.

“What ATF saw 10 years ago with the emergence of the ghost gun phenomena,” said Hansen, “is now what ATF is seeing with the emergence of machine gun conversion devices. These highly dangerous devices can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities and the brave members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day. Machine gun conversion devices are now the most frequently recovered type of illegal firearm. If you are manufacturing or in possession of these deadly devices, we will identify you and arrest you; we will not let up. ATF’s mission is to protect the public from violent crime, and getting these devices off the streets does just that.”

On Aug. 2, 2024, Johnston allegedly sold 10 Glock conversion devices and an AR-type conversion device for $70 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At the time of the transaction, Johnston told the undercover agent that the devices were incomplete as he did not manufacture the selector rod for them (though he later provided those to the undercover agent).

Johnston agreed to manufacture and sell 100 AR-type conversion devices for $250 after an undercover agent said he would be trafficking them to Chicago for profit. Johnston stated that he printed these himself and it would take him approximately one week.

On Aug. 15, 2024, Johnston met with an undercover agent at a gas station parking lot on Blue Ridge Cutoff where he handed over a clear vacuum-sealed package containing 100 AR-type machine gun conversion devices for $250.

On Aug. 30, 2024, Johnston met again with an undercover agent at the same location where he discussed producing more units within weeks.

The federal criminal complaint charges Johnston with three counts related to possessing machine guns—specifically referring to his possession on various dates: Aug. 2 (10 Glock MCDs), Aug. 15 (100 AR-type MCDs), and Aug. 30 (300 AR-type MCDs).

The charges contained in this complaint are accusations; evidence supporting them must be presented before a federal trial jury tasked with determining guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith following an investigation by ATF.