Jimmy Bender, a 19-year-old resident of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing a machinegun. This sentence follows his guilty plea and was announced by John P. Heekin, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court records reveal that officers from the Tallahassee Police Department’s Violent Crimes Response Team were patrolling southeastern Tallahassee due to reports of criminal activity. An officer observed Bender committing a traffic violation and subsequently stopped his vehicle. During this stop, officers found a Glock .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. The handgun was equipped with a “Glock switch,” a device that illegally converts the firearm into a machinegun capable of firing multiple rounds with one trigger pull.
U.S. Attorney Heekin commented on the case: “Thanks to the hard work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners, our community can rest easy knowing this dangerous individual has been removed from our streets. Criminals considering carrying an illegally converted machinegun should know my office will aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation leading to Bender’s conviction involved collaboration between the TPD Violent Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 offices nationwide serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed online via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More information about this office is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
