Federal agents say a young Cincinnati man turned his home into a stash spot for illegal machine-gun parts tied to a neighborhood gang.
Jhyaire Evans, 23, of Avondale, was arrested last week after authorities reported finding a machine-gun conversion device in a bag inside his home, according to federal court filings. He is being held on a federal hold at the Butler County Jail and is scheduled for a detention hearing tomorrow.
Investigators say a search of a Lossing Street residence in the Evanston neighborhood turned up firearms, ammunition, marijuana-related items and multiple machine-gun conversion devices, all seized as part of the same investigation.
ATF Affidavit Ties Suspect To Instagram Sales
An ATF affidavit reviewed by FOX19 says a confidential informant told investigators Evans was selling Glock switches to Piru Blood gang members in Evanston.
The affidavit also links Evans to an Instagram account with the handle topshiest_ and notes posts that allegedly show firearms, along with an offer to sell a Glock 19 outfitted with a 50-round drum and a button that investigators say is slang for a switch.
What A 'Glock Switch' Does And Why It Counts As A Machinegun
A Glock switch, also called a machine-gun conversion device (MCD), attaches to the rear of a pistol slide and disables the internal part that limits the gun to one shot per trigger pull. With that safety defeated, a handgun can fire automatically.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has repeatedly said these conversion devices qualify as machine guns under federal law and warns that they make pistols significantly more lethal, as detailed by the ATF.
Feds Ramp Up Prosecutions In Cincinnati
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Ohio have been steadily stacking up machine-gun conversion cases as part of a broader violent-crime reduction push. Earlier this year, they unsealed indictments against other local defendants accused of possessing Glock switches.
The U.S. Attorney's Office has publicly warned that anyone caught with a firearm equipped with a Glock switch can expect federal charges. Under federal law, illegal possession of a machinegun can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Legal Heat And Local Precedent
Courts in the region have treated trafficking or distributing switches as a serious federal offense. The Sixth Circuit recently upheld a lengthy sentence for a Cincinnati-area dealer after finding that switches in that case were tied to gang shootings and drug trafficking, according to an opinion reviewed by Justia.
Sentencing press releases from the ATF show that defendants prosecuted in similar switch cases have received multi-year prison terms for distributing conversion devices and related firearms offenses.
What Is Next In Evans' Case
Evans' detention hearing is set for tomorrow in federal court. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment, FOX19 reports.
Prosecutors could move forward with a federal criminal complaint based on the ATF affidavit. If formal charges are filed that include possession or trafficking of a machine-gun conversion device, Evans would face significant federal penalties while the investigation continues.
