Two men from North Philadelphia were taken into custody on Tuesday after receiving a package from China containing illegal gun switches, which are used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Police and Homeland Security Investigations officers stopped Michael Rodriguez and Khalil Jenkins, both 19, in their car after they picked up the item on their way to a North Philadelphia house, according to authorities. Police discovered 11 gun switches hidden within toy boxes. Authorities found marijuana in the car.
When police later investigated the suspects’ home on North Warnock Street, they discovered marijuana packaged for resale, a loaded handgun with a switch, and a fully automatic rifle.
“These illegal devices are designed to maximize death and destruction, and have no place in civilized society,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement Thursday.
Switches, often known as machine gun conversion devices, are small instruments that alter the mechanics of a semi-automatic pistol’s trigger bar. When mounted to a handgun’s rear slide, they prevent the trigger from catching on the firing pin, allowing you to fire shots constantly with a single pull. Recoil frequently causes uncontrolled shooting, increasing the chance of hitting unintended targets.
Last year, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner stated that an increasing number of crime scenes for shootings had revealed ballistics evidence compatible with the usage of switches.
“Even if we don’t have guns or any suspects, simply seeing 50 different cartridge casings coming from three different guns is a hint that all of them or at least some of them have a switch,” Krasner said.
According to officials from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the proliferation of switches is a nationwide trend, with the devices frequently being cheaply manufactured and imported to the United States from other countries. Manufacturing switches has also become easier thanks to 3D printing.
Investigators did not explain how they became aware of the package allegedly seized from Rodriguez and Jenkins.
Possession of a switch, even without a gun or a crime committed with one, can result in a 10-year federal prison sentence. However, federal prosecutors do not investigate all incidents involving switches. Last year, Philadelphia approved legislation that forbade the manufacture, procurement, sale, or transfer of switches within the city. Pennsylvania does not have a state statute that prohibits the devices.
Although switches are commonly linked with Austrian pistol maker Glock, they can be placed in a variety of guns. New Jersey is one of three states that have sued Glock, alleging that the corporation neglected to alter their firearms to prevent the use of switches.
Rodriguez and Jenkins have each been charged with two counts of possessing offensive weapons and two counts of possessing an instrument of crime. They also face felony narcotics trafficking allegations. They were arraigned on Tuesday, with bail set at $750,000 for Rodriguez and $500,000 for Jenkins. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the matter.
