A Houston man, previously convicted of a felony, is headed back to prison on charges related to gun possession. Lenard Butler, 28, struck a guilty plea earlier this year for possession of an illegal machine gun conversion device and being a felon with a firearm. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Following his plea on April 22, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced Butler to a term of 37 months, with an additional three years of supervised release. The charges stemmed from a May 2022 stop of Butler's Dodge Challenger, where law enforcement discovered a machine gun conversion device attached to a Glock pistol in the vehicle. In a search provoked by the smell of marijuana, police uncovered not only the residue of the substance but also the modified firearm hidden under the front passenger seat. Machine gun conversion devices are regarded by law as machine guns and, as such, illegal to carry. Adding to the charges is Butler's status as a convicted felon, which federally prohibits him from firearm possession.
The illicit conversion device affixed to the pistol, identified by its golden color and inscribed "Glock" label, converts semi-automatic weapons into automatic ones, allowing the gun to fire continuously. These devices run afoul of federal gun regulations, and Butler's possession of them has now led to his current prison sentence. He remains in custody and awaits transfer to an unspecified U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, as per the justice department's press release.
Investigations into Butler's case were led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Booth helmed the prosecution.
