A convicted felon from North Las Vegas is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting he had a machine gun conversion device, multiple handguns and a stash of methamphetamine he planned to sell.
The 10-year federal sentence, handed down Monday in Las Vegas, will be followed by four years of supervised release. Prosecutors said the case involved guns, high-capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition—exactly what federal gun laws aim to prevent.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Harold Wesley Snowten IV, also known as “Insane.” Snowten will serve his prison term, followed by four years of federal supervision.
Firearms, Ammo, And Meth Found, Officials Say
Prosecutors said Snowten was caught in April 2023 with six firearms he was not allowed to have as a felon. Court documents describe a small arsenal of 9x19mm pistols and a machine gun conversion device, along with ammunition stacked up for all of them.
The case involved a Taurus G2c 9x19mm (17-round magazine), a MasterPiece Arms Defender 9x19mm (30-round), a Smith & Wesson 9x19mm (16-round), and an SCCY CPX-2 9x19mm (32-round). Authorities also recovered over 500 additional rounds, according to 8 News Now.
Investigators seized over 50 grams of methamphetamine packaged for distribution. Snowten pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun, being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors had asked for a 130-month prison term and five years of supervised release. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the North Las Vegas Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig handled the prosecution.
What The Charges Mean
Federal law bars felons from having guns under Cornell Law School's posted text of 18 U.S.C. section 922, and subsection (o) of that statute makes possessing a machine gun unlawful. Prosecutors said Snowten violated both provisions when he held on to the conversion device and multiple firearms.
The drug count comes from a different federal law. Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute is charged under Cornell Law School's posted text of 21 U.S.C. section 841, where penalties climb with the amount of drugs involved and any prior convictions.
Federal prosecutors characterized Snowten’s case as part of a broader push to get illegal weapons and methamphetamine out of Southern Nevada neighborhoods. Snowten is now in federal custody and will serve the term ordered by the court.
