Two men indicted on charges of illegally possessing machine gun

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A federal grand jury returned indictments in two separate cases on Tuesday charging two men with illegally possessing a machinegun.

Both men are charged with possessing devices used to convert a conventional semiautomatic pistol to function as a fully automatic firearm. These devices are commonly referred to as “switches,” “auto-sears,” and “conversion devices,” among other names, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Illinois.

In one case, Javaughn A. Hixson, 21, was charged with three counts of possessing a conversion device, which the indictment alleges is a part designed solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun. According to the indictment, Hixson knowingly possessed one conversion device on Oct. 22, 2020, two conversion devices on Nov. 5, 2020, and an additional two conversion devices on Dec. 8, 2020.

Hixson was also charged with illegally possessing a loaded Glock pistol as a felon on Jan. 4, 2021. Hixson pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen. Hixson has been ordered to be held in federal custody pending trial, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Illinois.

In a separate case, Marcus Williams, 25 of Loves Park, was charged with one count of possessing a firearm that had been converted into a machinegun. According to the indictment, on Jan. 7, 2021, Williams knowingly possessed a loaded Glock .40 caliber firearm that had been converted into a machinegun by an aftermarket “switch.” Williams is currently in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and a date will be set in the near future for arraignment.

Each of the charged counts carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment followed by up to 3 years’ supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Illinois.