A 22-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced Monday to 33 months in federal prison for selling an arsenal of illegal firearms — including two machine gun conversion devices — alongside roughly 1,000 fentanyl pills. Ty'Shaun Meeks pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of distributing a controlled substance.
U.S. District Judge Cristina D. Silva handed down the sentence at the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, according to Nevada Globe. As reported by FOX5 Vegas, prosecutors said Meeks sold about 1,000 fentanyl pills for cash and did not hold a federal firearms license to sell any of the weapons involved in the case.
Court filings detailed by the U.S. Department of Justice show that between October 4 and December 20, 2024, Meeks sold an AR-556 rifle with a 30-round magazine, a 100-round drum magazine, two machine gun conversion devices, a 9mm pistol with an 18-round magazine, a 9mm pistol with a 24-round magazine, and a .40-caliber pistol with a 10-round magazine. Court documents note that all magazine accessories sold during the sting were empty. The 33-month sentence matched the exact prison term federal prosecutors had recommended in their sentencing memorandum, and the department's report notes Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Brister served as the lead prosecutor.
Switches Treated as Machine Guns Under Federal Law
The two machine gun conversion devices Meeks sold carry particular legal weight. Under federal statutes 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b) and 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(24), these devices — commonly known as auto sears or Glock switches — are legally defined as machine guns themselves, according to Cornell Law School. That classification places each conversion component in the same legal category as a fully automatic weapon.
The case against Meeks also reflects a shift in how prosecutors pursue unlicensed gun sellers. The federal offense of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license was broadened by Congress under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, changing the legal standard from proving dealing as a livelihood and profit to simply selling predominantly to earn a profit, per the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The updated standard under 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A) focuses on whether sellers predominantly sell to earn a profit.
ATF Las Vegas Field Office Led Nevada Case
The investigation was conducted by the ATF Las Vegas Field Office. The case involved unlicensed gun sales and drug distribution.
Following his 33-month term in custody, Meeks will serve four years of court-ordered supervised release. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah said authorities are working to disrupt illegal firearms and narcotics networks.
Another Federal Case in Nevada
Judge Silva presided over the sentencing.
Meeks's case is among federal prosecutions involving illegal gun sales and fentanyl distribution in the Las Vegas valley. In a separate case last month, a Las Vegas man received 10 years in federal prison for fentanyl distribution and illegal firearm possession.
