KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Federal prosecutors say a 27-year-old Northland man allegedly used a 3D printer to illegally manufacture hundreds of machine gun conversion devices to sell throughout the Kansas City area.
Dalton R. Johnston faces three charges in connection to allegedly possessing more than 400 devices that allow shooters to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.
According to federal court documents unsealed Friday, federal investigators received a tip from an informant that Johnston was using a 3D printer in his Northland home to make the devices, which are also known as switches or auto sears. The devices allow shooters to fire multiple shots through a single pull of the trigger. While the devices allow more rapid fire, they often make the gunfire less accurate.
“Using these devices is illegal. Selling these devices is illegal. And being in possession of these devices is also illegal,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said Friday in a press release. “The Department of Justice is making it a priority to combat the spread of these deadly weapons as a focus of our strategy to drive down violent crime.”
An undercover agent working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arranged an initial transaction with Johnston to purchase several switches printed specifically for Glock firearms. During the transaction, the undercover agent learned Johnston could produce switches for other types of weapons.
The undercover agent completed three transactions with Johnston during the summer of 2024 in which more than 400 devices were exchanged. The amount of money exchanged was roughly $1,000.
“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,” Moore said. “These dangerously lethal and illegal weapons pose a threat to both public safety and the safety of law enforcement officers.”
Johnston was taken into custody Friday where he remained early Friday afternoon pending his first court appearance.
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