Mobile Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Machinegun

MOBILE, AL - A Mobile man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun.

According to court documents, on January 23, 2024, Hunter Lee Powell, 21, was arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation after Powell sold a machinegun-conversion device to another individual. A machinegun-conversion device is commonly referred to as a "Glock switch," and renders a pistol into a fully automatic weapon.

Powell was indicted for being in possession of a machinegun and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Powell to 18 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for possessing the machinegun.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.