KC Reporter

A Kansas City man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal possession of firearms and a machine gun. Maurquis D. Jennings, 29, faces one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of possessing a machine gun, according to an indictment returned on August 12, 2025. His initial court appearance took place today.

The indictment alleges that on June 8, 2025, Jennings had in his possession two Glock pistols: a Model 20 Gen5, 10mm fully automatic pistol and a Model 30 Gen5, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The Glock Model 20 was allegedly equipped with a machine gun conversion device that made it fully automatic.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, "Machine gun conversion devices, 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. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices."

Federal law prohibits anyone with a felony conviction from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Jennings has previously been convicted of robbery.

Authorities stress that "the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence."

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee’s Summit Police Department.

This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice designed to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime by coordinating resources from various task forces.