A Kansas City, Missouri man has been charged in federal court for the illegal possession of hundreds of homemade devices designed to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Dalton R. Johnston, 27, faces three counts of possessing machine gun conversion devices, known as “MCDs,” as part of a broader investigation by federal authorities into the rise of these dangerous weapons.
According to U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, law enforcement agencies nationwide have reported an alarming increase in the number of MCDs, which are small, often homemade, devices that can quickly convert a firearm into a fully automatic weapon. “Machine gun conversion devices are often cheap and homemade, just a small piece of metal or plastic that converts a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war. These dangerously lethal and illegal weapons pose a threat to both public safety and the safety of law enforcement officers,” Moore said in a statement.
Johnston allegedly used a 3-D printer to manufacture the devices, which he sold in the Kansas City area. On Aug. 2, 2024, Johnston reportedly sold 10 Glock conversion devices and one AR-type conversion device for $70 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). He later delivered 100 more AR-type conversion devices to the agent on Aug. 15 and agreed to manufacture and sell additional devices over the following weeks.
Federal authorities allege that Johnston met with the undercover agent on multiple occasions, during which he offered to supply hundreds of additional MCDs and even offered to manufacture silencers. He was arrested following an Aug. 30 meeting where he allegedly delivered 300 AR-type conversion devices.
Special Agent Bernard G. Hansen of the ATF’s Kansas City Field Division said the agency has seen an uptick in these types of illegal devices. “These highly dangerous devices can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities and the brave members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day,” Hansen stated. “If you are manufacturing or in possession of these deadly devices, we will identify you and arrest you.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the ATF as part of the Department of Justice’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Devices.
