A Milwaukee man, identified as Demario Robinson, 22, has been sentenced to 88 months – that’s seven years and four months in prison – for his involvement in one of the largest machinegun conversion device smuggling operations in Wisconsin's history. According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Robinson was convicted of smuggling over 200 machinegun conversion devices, known as "switches," and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Robinson, having a prior felony drug conviction, was prohibited from having a gun. However, between July 11, 2022, and June 5, 2023, he orchestrated the importation and sale of these machinegun conversion devices – devices that can turn a regular pistol into a fully automatic weapon. In an intercepted parcel sent from China, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents found 47 such switches on June 20, 2023, intended for Robinson's Milwaukee residence. While serving a search warrant at Robinson's place, law enforcement there also found a stolen Glock 19 handgun adorned with a 30 round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, equating to an illegal machine gun, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During the court hearing, United States District Judge Joseph P. Stadtmueller emphasized the heightened risk machinegun conversion devices bring to community safety. As detailed in their statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, he noted that Robinson’s “sale of MCDs in Milwaukee increased the danger posed by firearms in our community.” The sentence was articulated to serve as a deterrence to both Robinson and others against trading and owning these illegal apparatuses.
Underscoring the severity of the case, U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad stated, “The dangerousness and lethality of ‘switches’ and similar conversion devices in our community cannot be overstated.” The FBI also weighed in through Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle who reflected on the nature of the threat, saying, “Machinegun conversion devices pose a real danger to our communities. One pull of the trigger is no longer just one bullet, it could be 15 rounds in one second,” as per a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald called attention to the disastrous consequences smuggling machinegun conversion devices has and the risk it poses to public safety. The Milwaukee Police Department, through the voice of Chief Jeffrey Norman, reiterated the importance of cooperative enforcement efforts to counteract such threats. The case is the result of joint investigative efforts by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI's Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force, and Milwaukee Police Department's Special Investigations Division, with the prosecution being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Bill Roach and Mike Schindhelm.
