Press Release from the DOJ Newswire:
HAMMOND- Michael Thedford, 29 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Thedford was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on March 21, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thedford’s residence and recovered narcotics, five loaded firearms with high capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Also recovered was a Glock firearm that contained a conversion device also known as a “Glock Switch” that converted the semi-automatic firearm to a fully automatic weapon. This weapon was required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records in accordance with the National Firearms Act but was not.
SEE ALSO: Indiana Homeowner Shoots Two Robbery Suspects, Holds Two at Gunpoint
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Kevin Wolff.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
First off, the defendant can’t register any Machine Gun made after 1986, because Congress decided to let “Rust” and Inflated prices, because of the lack of supply, kill civilian ownership of machine guns. If you think that is legal or OK, let’s apply the same rule to all firearms. If you can’t comply with the law mandating registration, how can they charge you for not registering?
The feds did the same thing early on with Marijuana, they didn’t think they could ban it under federal law, so they required a “Tax Stamp” be purchased. They refused to issue the stamps and arrested people for not following the law and paying their taxes. The case was taken to court , which ruled that the feds didn’t have to issue the stamps if they didn’t feel like it. So basically there was no way to comply with the law. Remember, to ban Alcohol required an Amendment to the US Constitution.
Likely this guy either ordered a kit from China online or he purchased the kit from a BATFE informant. The lack of any information other than the government’s “Boiler Plate”, hey this guy plead guilty and went to prison. aren’t we awesome, etc. is troubling.
The whole “Narcotics” thing could have been Marijuana or perhaps prescription medication that wasn’t his etc. The fact that no federal charges were filed over the drugs, makes me think it was minor or not technically illegal and therefore the prosecutor didn’t charge him. Also, zero information about the suspects criminal history, involvement in gangs and drug sales, etc. is interesting. So maybe having the “Evil” Glock switch was all the serious crime this guy ever committed. The TRUTH is, we simply don’t know.
It should be noted that the suspect took a plea deal and the case never went to trial. The standard penalty for NFA violations is 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine per violation, so he received a little more than half that and no fine???
So was a dangerous criminal removed from the street by the “Heroes” at the BATFE, who need a “Win” to get more money for more agents or was this a Stupid 29 year old, hitherto law abiding citizen arrested for having a piece of metal which cost the government $100,000 in agent, prosecutorial and court time, plus federal prison confinement time at $37,000 a year for over 5 years, that perhaps could have been better spent on other career criminals? Why BATFE didn’t just knock on his door, have him surrender the “Contraband” and move on.
I don’t know the answers, but at least I’m asking questions.
I agree with you 100%, but for each violation it’s 10 years and $250,000, not $20,000. Still, lots of holes in this story and if we was truly a criminal with a select-fire Glock, should have received much more time.
As a former FFL, every gun owner knows the federal laws governing fully automatic firearms. If then they don’t then they don’t need to be gun owners.
What is a “high capacity magazine?” Did he have some of those 50-round Glock drums?
If he had only murdered someone, he would be out on bail and touted as a “victim”.
5 yrs thats it for a drug dealing POS, should be in for at least 20 yrs!
He got off easy. Possession of a unregistered machine gun is supposed to be ten years in prison
The penalty for bearing any armament is supposed to be zero, nada, nothing. Crooks arresting possible crooks is crooked business.