Federal agents say two Chicago men showed up for what they thought were straightforward deals in the suburbs on Wednesday and left in handcuffs, accused of carrying pistols outfitted with illegal conversion devices that turn them into fully automatic weapons. The arrests, in Joliet and Bolingbrook, followed separate undercover operations in which investigators posed as firearm buyers and tow‑operator contractors. Prosecutors say one deal allegedly doubled as a cocaine sale.
Federal Complaint Details Gas Station Gun And Drug Deal
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, 21‑year‑old Matthew Barraza is accused of selling a loaded handgun equipped with a machine‑gun conversion device and an extended 19‑round magazine to an undercover officer at a Bolingbrook gas station on Feb. 5. Prosecutors say Barraza accepted $2,000 for the firearm and also sold roughly 127 grams of cocaine to the same undercover officer for about $3,600. He is charged with unlicensed dealing of a firearm, possession of a machine gun and distribution of a controlled substance.
The federal complaint notes that the conversion device attached to the handgun is designed so multiple rounds can be fired with a single pull of the trigger. Prosecutors treat that modification the same as possessing a machine gun under federal law.
Joliet Tow Job Turned Undercover Sting, Feds Say
In a separate incident, 27‑year‑old Edwin Moreno is accused of carrying a firearm fitted with a conversion device on Jan. 15 while he believed he was providing armed security for tow operators during a vehicle repossession in Joliet, as reported by the Chicago Sun‑Times. It was not a routine tow job: authorities say it was part of a broader undercover operation.
Both men were taken into custody Wednesday and are charged in separate federal complaints. The Sun‑Times reports the cases grew out of coordinated undercover work supported by local narcotics squads.
Why Tiny “Switches” Draw Big Federal Heat
The latest arrests arrive amid a broader federal and local crackdown on the small conversion devices, often called “switches,” which can turn common handguns into fully automatic weapons in seconds. The enforcement push accelerated after a 2025 initiative that snared 41 suspects and recovered dozens of conversion devices.
The ATF and Chicago police have said these devices are showing up more often at crime scenes and have been linked to shootings, a trend that has pushed agencies to prioritize investigations into how they are trafficked. Officials say crime‑gun intelligence work and joint task forces have played central roles in recent busts and indictments.
Legal Stakes
Federal law defines a “machinegun” broadly enough to include parts designed to convert a firearm into an automatic weapon. That means the conversion devices themselves can be prosecuted as machine guns. See the Legal Information Institute for the text of 18 U.S.C. § 921, which lays out the statutory definitions and related prohibitions.
Convictions for unlawful possession or transfer of a machine gun can carry sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison. Any drug convictions tied to the alleged cocaine sale would come with separate federal penalties if prosecutors prove distribution.
Both defendants are scheduled for detention hearings on Feb. 25 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain. Officials said the ATF’s Chicago Field Division and the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad assisted in the investigation. Prosecutors have not publicly released additional evidence, and the complaints are expected to move through federal court in the coming weeks.
