Evansville man sentenced after pleading guilty to firearm charges
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – An Evansville man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison on Friday after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun.
According to documents, Evansville Police investigators received information that Marquel Payne, 39, was manufacturing machine gun parts using a 3D printer. While executing a search warrant, officers say they found 60 plastic machine gun conversion devices, a 9mm personally made handgun, known as a "ghost gun", an AR-15 rifle, a 3D printer, plastic printing filament, a 3D printed firearm silencer and 9mm caliber ammunition.
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Machinegun conversion devices, also known as "glock switches" are devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Glock switches are illegal for individuals to produce, possess or sell.
Payne had previously been convicted of numerous felonies, including escape, carrying a handgun without a license and criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon. These convictions prohibited Payne from ever legally possessing a firearm.
"Getting illegal machinegun conversion devices off our streets is a critical public safety priority," said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "Fully automatic weapons and untraceable 'ghost guns' pose a serious danger to our communities, especially when they are in the hands of people who have no lawful business possessing any firearm. This prosecution is the result of quick and impactful investigative work by our outstanding partners at the Evansville-Vanderburgh Crime Gun Intelligence Center. Together we are committed to saving lives and reducing gun violence by combining intelligence and resources to investigate and prosecute dangerous offenders."
