FBI: Machine gun conversion devices or switches on rise in Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE - The FBI says machine gun conversion devices, or switches, are on the rise in Wisconsin – and becoming part of daily investigations.
A news conference was held on Thursday, Dec. 5 after the FBI said 22-year-old Demario Robinson was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for smuggling those machine gun devices to the Milwaukee area.
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A switch is an illegal device that can turn a regular semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic machine gun.
FBI officials said on Wednesday they intercepted a package from China with 47 switches that were being sent to Robinson's home. Officials believe there are hundreds of switches still on the street that Robinson sold.
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle said the devices are hard to track because they can be manufactured from a person's home – or come in from overseas.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said police see these types of devices pop up daily in their investigations.
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Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman
"We’ve had our fair share in the Milwaukee community of multiple shootings or multiple people being hurt in one shooting. That is unacceptable," Norman said. "You’re seeing more casings at these particular scenes which is a direct correlation to these particular type of switches."
Both MPD and the FBI said they work together to get these devices off the streets – and want to spread awareness about the dangers they have to the community.
If anyone is found in possession of a switch, you could face ten years in federal prison.