A Lawton man will spend the next 70 months behind bars for possessing a machinegun conversion device, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced recently. Jeremiah Alexander Dearing, aged 21, was slapped with this sentence after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun, a violation that carries a significant risk to public safety.
On October 9, 2024, while observing a jailhouse call that was recorded, Lawton Police Department officers noticed Dearing brandishing an AK-47-style pistol and flashing gang signs, despite being under the legal age to carry such a weapon in Oklahoma. Their investigation led them to Dearing's home, where, upon executing a search warrant, they found five loaded firearms, one of which was a privately manufactured firearm without a serial number, and a stash of approximately 92 fentanyl pills. According to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the most alarming find was a machine gun conversion device capable of transforming a semi-automatic weapon into a deadly, fully automatic machine gun.
Judge Patrick R. Wyrick handed down the sentence on August 22, after Dearing's guilty plea earlier in the year. The 70-month federal prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, looking at Dearing's conduct, Judge Wyrick cited "the significant public safety concern posed by Dearing’s conduct and the need to promote respect for the law" during the sentencing hearing.
Tackling the menace of illicit firearms, this case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and 'Project Switch Off,' which is the local initiative in Oklahoma's Western District. The focus of 'Project Switch Off' is to combat the dangers posed by illegal machinegun conversion devices, attempting to eradicate them from the streets. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives partnered with the Lawton Police Department on this investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly leading the prosecution.
