Federal law enforcement cracking down on ‘gun switches’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Federal officials announced a new crackdown on illegal machine gun conversion devices.

Officials say 26 people have been prosecuted recently for crimes involving machine gun conversion devices known as switches.

Switches turn semi-automatic firearms into a machine gun capable of firing dozens of rounds in seconds.

The 26 facing prosecution could spend up to 10 years in federal prison.

“We have more cases like this in the pipeline,” U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz said. “We’re going to continue to take these cases federal. People need to understand that anyone with a machine gun conversion device will face federal consequences.”

Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis says the department supports the federal crackdown on switches, saying there is no valid reason to convert a pistol into a machine gun.

“Gun violence has increasingly plagued our city in recent years, causing death and trauma throughout. Switches and similar devices have only exacerbated these urgent issues in our community, prompting the need for stronger enforcement,” Davis said.

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