FLINT MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR IMPORTING AND SELLING ILLEGAL MACHINEGUN CONVERSION DEVICES

FLINT - A Flint man was sentenced today to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for illegally importing and selling machinegun conversion devices, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Detroit Field Division.

United States District Court Judge Shalina D. Kumar sentenced Yusef D. Hairston, 31, following his guilty plea to illegal possession and transfer of a machinegun on June 5, 2024. A machinegun conversion device is a device that, when integrated with a semi-automatic firearm, converts the firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. Under federal law, a machinegun conversion device is itself a machinegun. Judge Kumar also sentenced Hairston to two years of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration.

According to court records, in late 2022 and continuing into 2023, undercover ATF agents purchased various narcotics, firearms, and machinegun conversion devices from Dequan Hawkins. Eventually, Hawkins introduced the undercover ATF agents to Hairston, whom Hawkins identified as his source-of-supply for the machinegun conversion devices. Over the course of the next several months, Hairston sold the undercover ATF agents over 60 machinegun conversion devices. During this same time, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol interdicted two shipments from China containing over 100 machinegun conversion devices destined for Hairston. In total, Hairston was held responsible for possessing, importing, and selling over 200 machinegun conversion devices.

"Machinegun conversion devices serve one purpose-to turn semi-automatic firearms into machineguns. And machineguns are inherently dangerous firearms, designed solely to inflict maximum harm in minimal time. There is simply no place for these dangerous weapons in our community," stated U.S. Attorney Ison.

"Machinegun conversion devices pose a serious threat to our community's safety and security. To be clear, these devices are NOT firearm accessories and are machineguns under federal law." said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. "Mr. Hairston made a choice to possess and profit from illegally modified firearms. In the end, I urge every Michigander contemplating experimenting with a machinegun conversion device to think twice about the serious consequences associated with this choice. I know for a fact that Mr. Hairston will be pondering this exact thought while he spends a considerable amount of time in prison for choosing to possess a machinegun conversion device. These devices are a clear and present danger to public safety and will be investigated and prosecuted as such."

This case was investigated by special agents of the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Vance.