A Salisbury man is facing a stack of serious charges after a search of a South Shaver Street home today turned up an illegally modified handgun, several 3D-printed conversion devices and narcotics, authorities say.
Officers served a search warrant at 602 S. Shaver Street and took Mkwasi Jermaine Walker into custody without incident. Investigators say they found a Glock 10mm pistol fitted with an aftermarket conversion device that turned the handgun into a fully automatic weapon.
According to WSOCTV, the Rowan County Sheriff's Office assisted the Concord Police Department during the operation, with the Rowan sheriff's Special Response Team and Vice/Narcotics Unit providing scene security and support.
Why Conversion Devices Have Investigators Worried
Small automatic conversion devices, often called "switches" or auto-sears, can turn a standard semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon with a few quick moves and almost no effort. Federal authorities treat those parts as machine-gun conversion devices, which makes them illegal to possess.
The Department of Justice has reported seizing thousands of these devices in recent enforcement actions, including crackdowns on websites and online networks used to import or sell them. That larger national trend is one reason local investigators flagged the 3D-printed pieces found in the Salisbury home as especially troubling.
Drug Evidence And Armed-Robbery Warrants
Inside the residence, investigators also found about 59 grams of marijuana and a small amount of an unidentified white powder, which will be analyzed by a lab, police said. As reported by Yahoo News, Walker was located inside the home and taken into custody without incident, then turned over to Concord police to face outstanding warrants tied to an armed robbery in Concord.
Authorities said additional charges could be filed as testing comes back and the investigation develops.
Next Steps And Possible Federal Heat
Possessing a device that converts a pistol into a fully automatic weapon can trigger federal machine-gun statutes, an area that has drawn increasing attention from the ATF and U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country.
Per WSOCTV, authorities have not announced any federal charges in the Salisbury case, and the investigation remains active. Local agencies and federal prosecutors often coordinate on whether to bring federal cases when conversion devices or trafficking activity might be involved.
Law Enforcement Perspective On "Switches"
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has warned that these conversion devices can, in their words, "transform regular pistols into weapons of war." The agency and federal prosecutors have gone after people accused of selling or importing the parts, including undercover buys and large-scale seizures, according to the ATF.
Investigators say the discovery in Salisbury is another reminder that tiny, relatively cheap pieces of plastic or metal can dramatically raise the stakes on the street, turning a routine gun arrest into a potential machine-gun case.
