A Saint Paul resident has been handed a six-year prison sentence for illegally possessing a machine gun, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Mohamed Takieu Khan, Jr., age 26, faced the legal consequences of his action today when U.S. District Court Judge Katherine M. Menendez imposed his sentence, which will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota.
Documents from the court highlight the events leading up to Khan's arrest on January 26, 2023. Khan was behind the wheel of a black 2013 Lincoln MKX in Saint Paul, speeding, prompting a traffic stop attempt by the Saint Paul Police Department. Khan failed to stop and instead sped up, ultimately crashing his vehicle after running through a stop sign. During his escape on foot, Khan discarded a .40 caliber Glock model 23 pistol fitted with a "switch" – a device that transforms a handgun into an automatic weapon. In addition, officers discovered another similarly modified handgun and over 800 M-30 fentanyl pills in Khan's abandoned vehicle, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota.
The sentence comes after Khan pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful possession of a machine gun on May 14. The charge stemmed from an investigation carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Saint Paul Police Department.
